


Learning to Manage

by PolyphonicPrayer



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: 2D/OC - Freeform, 2D/Samantha Delarosa (OC), Band Fic, Bisexual Female Character, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Character of Color, Mild Sexual Content, Murdoc Niccals/OC - Freeform, Murdoc Niccals/Samantha Delarosa (OC), Original Character(s), Original Female Character - Freeform, Phase Two (Gorillaz), Romance, Samantha Delarosa (OC), Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, alcohol reference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-06-19 14:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 49,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15511464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolyphonicPrayer/pseuds/PolyphonicPrayer
Summary: Samantha Delarosa was just a normal college graduate, but when a certain band reached out for a new manager, it seemed like fate that she answered the call- well, answered the craigslist ad. Taking the first flight she could to Essex, England, Sam found herself hired and moved into Kong Studios. Follow Sam as she tries to juggle work and love- if she can even keep them separate. After all, Murdoc is anyone's type if he tries hard enough, and they don't call 2D the face of the band for nothing. Things are going to get complicated.





	1. Part 1- Ch1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've posted this story to a lot of other different websites, so I decided to try it out here! This is my first story here, so I hope you enjoy because I've been working really hard on it. Part 1 starts at pre phase 2, Part 2 will be phase 2, so on and so forth.

Murdoc had officially lost it. Not like he had it before, but this time he had officially lost it. He was yelling at 2D more than usual, he worked Noodle’s poor fingers to the bone, and he even dared to criticize Russell. The success of the first album had them all in a tailspin; the pressure of living up to the initial hype was enough to drive them all mad, but especially the manager-slash-bassist. Murdoc volunteered to take on the role of manager because, simply put, he didn’t trust anyone else to get the job done. But now working on the second album, the stress came to bite him in the arse.  
Murdoc groaned, leaning back in his swivel chair. “Fucking hell! You better get this fucking chorus right, you fucking face-ache, or I’ll come in there and wring your limp pencil neck out!” he yelled into the intercom so that 2D could hear him from inside the recording booth.  
“I-I thought I did it right this time! I-It sounded pretty okay from in here…” 2D stammered.  
“Okay? Okay?! _Okay_ music doesn’t pay the bills, you twat! You don’t stop until it’s perfect!” Murdoc screeched, giving 2D a murderous look.  
“B-But we’ve been doin’ this for 3 hours! An’ it’s just the chorus! Don’t you think we should move on to guitar?” 2D complained.  
“We move on when I say we move on! We’ll keep doing it until your voice gives out and you puke out your own voice box! And then I’ll rip your throat out for giving up!” Murdoc pressed some buttons and the track started again, signaling for 2D to start singing again.  
Russell twirled his drumstick in his hand as he sat on the lounge couch on the other side of the studio. “Man, Murdoc has been nothing but wound up since we started working on the new music. It’s like he never stops screaming.”  
Noodle, who was sitting on the floor practicing the chords to the new song over and over again, nodded in agreement. “Hai, too high strung.”  
“I AM NOT HIGH STRUNG!” Murdoc boomed, over hearing the two behind him.  
“Man, Muds, you need to take it easy,” Russell said, earning a nod from Noodle. “When’s the last time you actually slept?”  
Murdoc, without turning around to face his drummer, scoffed. “Sleep doesn’t matter when you’re a famous rockstar.”  
“Maybe you needa focus on one job right now,” Russell suggested.  
“Last time I checked I was the leader of this band, _not you_! I have everything under control,” Murdoc muttered under his breath, trying to listen to what 2D was singing in the headphones on his ears. As soon as 2D hit the wrong note, Murdoc cringed and growled deep in the back of his throat, slowly rising from his seat. “What did I say, you sorry excuse for a—!” He rose from his chair and rushed to the booth’s door.  
2D frantically pulled his hair and shrank back as Murdoc stepped toward him with outstretched arms, all while shrinking. “No, no, no!”  
As Murdoc tried to strangle his defenseless singer, Russell pulled out his laptop and began to type.  
Noodle looked at him inquisitively. “What are you doing?” she asked.  
“Muds is gonna go even crazier if he keeps going on like this. I’m calling in for some backup.” Once he was done typing, he turned the laptop around so that Noodle could see what he was doing.  
Reading what Russell had typed, a wide grin spread across her face. “Nice!”

 

Sam burst into the small pub, a bright smile gracing her face. She quickly went over to the bar and took a seat. “I’ll take a bottle of your finest champagne!” she exclaimed to the single bartender.  
The bearded barman turned to her and grinned. “Coming right up. What’s the fine occasion?”  
Sam set her graduation cap on the bar top and shimmied out of her robe. “It’s not everyday someone graduates from college magna cum laude with a master’s degree in business.”  
“I guess that does call for celebration,” the man said cheekily, pulling a bottle of champagne from the chiller. “You know, Sam, if I didn’t know you I’d never peg you for the business type. You’re more ‘artsy’.”  
“Don't stereotype me, Colin! I’m erasing labels like that one tattoo at a time,” she retorted, pulling the hem of her tight black dress down the side of her tattooed thigh to be more covered. Probably not the most appropriate dress for a graduation, but she figured no one could see it under her robe anyway so she could just dress for going out later.  
Sam, age twenty-three, was already covered in tattoos. Some colorful and some black and white. Most people could recognize her by her shiny, long black hair with bangs that covered most of her dark chocolate eyes, but it was the tattoo of three roses side by side on her neck that was what caught most people’s eye.  
“So, how do you think employers are going to react to you?” Colin asked, handing over a glass of champagne.  
Sam just smirked and shrugged. “I don’t want to be someone’s employee. I’m going to be the boss.”  
Colin laughed. “You sure do have big dreams, kid.”  
“You gotta shoot for the stars, Colin!” Sam said with a smile, drinking her champagne. “I want to work with like-minded people. People with big dreams and ambitions who know that what you look like doesn’t dictate the amount of knowledge you hold. My tattoos and piercings don’t hold me back from doing a job that I love to do. You should know that.”  
Colin nodded in agreement. “Amen, sister. I wish had followed my dreams instead of just settling for bartender. I just thought I couldn’t be hired. You are truly an inspiration, Sam.”  
Sam blushed and held up her glass. “To dreams,” she toasted, Colin holding up the bottle and clinking them both together.  
Setting the bottle down, Colin asked, “So, what are your celebration plans for tonight?”  
Sam let out a sigh, trying to navigate her plans in her head. “After this I have to swing by the florist, then I’m going to the cemetery for a while,” she said, lowering her gaze to the bar top.  
“Your parents would be so proud of you,” Colin said, trying to cheer her up.  
Sam just let out a bittersweet chuckle and downed the rest of her glass. While Colin filled her glass again, she told him more. “After that I’m heading to Laura’s to get ready for the night and then we’re going to meet Tanya on sixth street to get _wasted_.”  
“Sounds like heaven!” Colin said, taking a stool from the back of the bar area and pulling it up in front of Sam. “I’m working a double shift. Don’t get off until two, and I am the one that opened the damn place at noon! I gotta get a new job.”  
Sam placed a comforting tattooed hand on Colin’s. “Well the great thing about living in the city is that there’s not any shortage of bartending jobs here. Just get a job downtown.”  
“Maybe,” Colin said with not much enthusiasm. Sam knew Colin loved this bar. It was his uncle’s bar before he moved away. Even though Colin didn’t get to take over management, he still had a duty to his uncle to stay and make sure the bar was going in the right direction.  
Once she was done with the bottle of champagne all by herself, and feeling a little fuzzy, Sam made her way to the florist, where she bought her mother’s favorite flowers—tiger lilies.  
Crunching through the dead grass the bright Texas sun showed no mercy to, Sam found the big headstone and stood there before it. The headstone read “ANTONIO DELAROSA BELOVED HUSBAND AND FATHER” on the left side and “ESMERELDA DELAROSA BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER” on the right. Beneath the names it read _“La paz les dejo, Mi paz les doy; no se la doy a ustedes como el mundo la da. No se turbe su corazón ni tenga miedo.”_ She set the bouquet of flowers down on the ground as she kneeled to touch the headstone.  
_“Hola, mama, papa,”_ Sam said under her breath. She lifted her graduation cap to her chest, as if showing the headstone. “I made it,” she said, tears pricking on the sides of her eyes. Letting the cap down, she kissed her index and middle fingers and pressed it to the headstone. _“Los quiero mucho.”_  
Standing up, brushing the dead blades of grass from her bottom and wiping the tears from her face, she held her cap to her chest and closed her eyes. “I wish ya’ll were here,” she said in a low voice. Turning back to her car parked a few yards away on the curb, she wobbled back to it in her wedge heels, trying to keep steady underneath the unleveled earth below. 

 

“Sam, babe, come in!” Laura exclaimed as soon as she opened the door of her apartment and saw Sam standing there. “Can you believe we are two-time graduates? I mean once was a miracle for me, but twice? Hallelujah!”  
Sam stepped inside the small studio apartment, kicking off her wedges and making herself comfortable. “It felt like a lifetime,” she said, taking a seat on the futon. “Time to start our careers, find a man, get married, and have babies,” she said flatly.  
As Sam made herself at home, Laura went back to fixing her makeup in the bathroom. “Find a man, maybe. Hell, I might find one tonight if I’m lucky! But marriage? Children? Ugh, I’d rather break both of my legs twice,” she said in disgust.  
Sam chuckled, kicking her legs up onto the futon and leaning back to lie down. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind getting married, but I don’t think I could squeeze an entire baby out. I mean, I know it’s possible, obvs, but, like, _gross_.”  
“I know, right? If I wanted to take care of something, I would just get a dog. They’re cuter, smarter, and won’t grow up to resent me.”  
Sam giggled to herself lightly at her friend’s frankness. “Are we meeting Tanya at the club or is she coming here?”  
Laura stepped out into the common area, all made up and large barrel curlers wrapped in her long blonde hair. “She said she was going to meet us there with her boyfriend. Looks like it’s going to be mostly you and me tonight.”  
Sam sat up, giving Laura a smirk. “Okay but just so you know I’m trying to get laid tonight.”  
Laura snatched up a pillow from her bed that sat behind the futon and tossed it at her friend’s head. “When are you not trying to get laid?” Laura joked. “That actually works out because I haven’t gotten any since before midterms. Mama needs to let off some steam!”  
“Tonight’s mission: find someone, get laid, try not to get alcohol poisoning,” Sam said, moving her hand like the was checking off a list in the air. “I’m just ready to finally let loose.”


	2. Part 1- Ch 2

Sam _really_ let loose. Groaning, Sam rolled over in bed, covered in blankets and sweat. Feeling dizzy and sick, she failed to realize just how close to the edge of her bed she was, for when she rolled over she toppled to the hard floor onto her face. She groaned louder, clenching her teeth as her head banged and her stomach churned from the movement. Feeling the bile creep up her esophagus, she quickly jumped to her feet and made a beeline to the bathroom.

Throwing open the door, she fell to her knees in front of the porcelain thrown, clutching the sides, as she expelled the toxins from her stomach. Five minutes later, once she was done dry heaving, Sam brushed her teeth and washed the leftover makeup from last night off her face. Looking into the mirror, she saw how much of a mess she was. And looking down and around she noticed how much more of a mess her bathroom was. Bottles of beauty products that were once sitting neatly atop of the countertop were now toppled over and onto the floor. She would have to clean that later.

Sam left the bathroom, padding her way into her bedroom to lie back down in her bed. But Sam wasn’t too surprised to see that her bed was not empty. A blonde, short haired woman laid topless on the other side of the bed. She was sound asleep, passed out and wouldn’t wake to even the loudest of noises.

Deciding to leave that burden unattended for the moment, Sam made her way to the kitchen. She needed food in her to soak up all the alcohol in her system. Good thing she was fully stocked with a freezer full of frozen pizzas. She popped one in the oven, and while she was waiting she opened her laptop that sat on the kitchen counter and turned it on. She wanted to get started on the job hunt as soon as possible. Maybe job hunting while still having alcohol in your system wasn’t the best way of doing it, but Sam was determined. Not knowing where to start first, she tried Craigslist.

The home page popped up and, still being slightly inebriated, Sam forgot to choose her location, just going straight to the jobs tab. As she scrolled, she heard footsteps make their way from the bedroom into the kitchen. It was Sam’s blonde babe from that night, and from the looks of it she was waiting for round two.

Leaning in the doorway, the girl smirked seductively, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. “Hey, what’s cooking good looking?”

Sam looked up from her laptop screen and smiled at the half-naked stranger in her kitchen. “This is gonna sound really shitty of me, but what’s your name again?” she asked with a coy smile.

The blonde chuckled and stepped closer to her. “Ally,” she replied. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to ask for yours now too.”

Sam went back to looking at her laptop, clicking a link to a managerial position. “It’s Sam. Don’t you just hate the morning after awkwardness?”

Ally walked up behind Sam, wrapping her arms around her torso and placing her chin on Sam’s shoulder. “I suppose it could be worse. I could be some gross looking slob hanging all over you. Or at least I hope I’m not.”

Sam twisted her attention away from the job ad and looked back over her shoulder at the other woman. “Trust me, you’re not,” she said with a flirtatious wink. A shiver went down her spine as her new lover placed kisses along her neck. Sam purred with pleasure at the touch, only encouraging her partner further.

“How about I give you another graduation present?” Said Ally, nipping at Sam’s ear.

“I wouldn’t object,” Sam replied coolly. Suddenly she was picked up by the sides and placed onto the counter top, her mouth being captured by the blonde’s.

After their round two of fun, Sam had successfully burned the pizza to a crisp. Feeling sexually satisfied, she sought out to satisfy her hunger. Saying goodbye to her lover at the door and giving empty promises to call her, Sam shut the door behind Ally and quickly called for Chinese delivery.

Taking her laptop to the couch and plopping down, she began typing a response to the job position:

**Dear Mr. Hobbs,**

**I am inquiring about the managerial position you posted on craigslist. I have attached my resume for you to look over. I will be looking forward to your response.**

**Sincerely,**

**Samantha Delarosa**

Leaving her email open and pushing her laptop aside, she turned on the TV and waited for her food to arrive. About twenty minutes later, Sam was slurping on her lo mein and watching trashy reality TV when the familiar ding of a new email rang from her laptop. Surprised, Sam set her takeout aside and checked her email. It was a response to the job offer. It read:

  **Dear Samantha,**

**After looking over your resume, I have decided that you fit our criteria for a new manager. I will send you a call for more details on the job soon.**

**Thank you,**

**Hobbs** 


Sam’s eyes lit up. She didn’t think she would find a real world job so quickly. _They must be really desperate for a new manager_ , she thought, taking up her noodles again and poking them with her chopsticks. She was about to take a bite of a sliced carrot when a thought popped into her mind. _Wait…what am I managing exactly?_ Sam palmed her forehead at her carelessness. She was so preoccupied with seeing a managerial position that she forgot to inquire about what the managerial position was even for. _Probably some start up business that just opened its first store._ She reasoned to herself, crunching down on the slice of carrot still pinched between her chopsticks. “Should be a piece of cake,” she told herself.

Sam jumped in her seat when suddenly the phone rang out. Putting a hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart from the startle, she quickly stood and lunged for the phone hanging on the wall in her kitchen. Composing herself, she answered, “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Samantha Delarosa?” A gruff man’s voice answered.

Sam took a seat on one of the barstools at her kitchen counter. “This is she,” she replied in her most professional voice.

“Hi Samantha, this is Russell Hobbs calling about the managerial position,” the man said.

“Oh, yes! I completely forgot to ask this, but—what company is this position for?” she asked politely.

“Oh, this position isn’t for a company,” he said, leaving Sam confused.

Sam raised an arched brow. “Then who will I be working for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A band,” was all he said.

Sam was taken back. She had no prior experience with managing bands, let alone any experience with the music industry at all. Sure, her last boyfriend was the guitar player for a local band, but they never got as far as playing a few gigs a week at a grungy old bar in downtown Austin. “Oh, Mr. Hobbs, there must be a mistake, I—”

“I’ve purchased you a ticket for a flight tomorrow at seven AM from your location to Essex, England—”

Sam started to panic at his words. _England?!_ “Wait a second, did you just say England? Did I miss something?” Sam took the phone with her and opened her laptop, switching tabs over to the craigslist ad. At the top of the page, there it was, clearly spelled out for her: International listings. _FUCK FUCK FUCK_ , she screamed in her head, trying to think of a way to back out of the position as professionally as possible.

“I hope that’s not a problem. I assumed you knew that since you responded to the ad.”

_Shit,_ she cursed to herself. She couldn’t admit to an employer that she was so careless as to not even see that she had clicked the international classifieds! “N-No that’s not a problem at all!”

“Anyway…when you arrive I’ll have a driver take you from the airport to the studio where I will interview you and you’ll meet the band to see if you’re a good fit. I look forward to meeting you, Ms. Delarosa,” Mr. Hobbs said, concluding the call.

“I look forward to it as well!” Sam said, feigning a chipper tone. “Thank you very much, Mr. Hobbs.” She hung up the phone, and slumped against the wall. “What am I going to do?” she whispered to herself as she slid down the wall, her bottom hitting the floor. “I can’t just move to England… _if_ I even get the job.” But then Sam straightened up a bit, leaning against the wall. “Why can’t I just move to England?” she said to herself, bringing her knees to her chest. “I’m young, I have nothing tying me down. Hell, I don’t even have a pet to tie me down!” She put her hands on her knees and pushed herself to standing. “There is absolutely nothing stopping me from moving to England!” Sam pushed her bangs back with her fingers. “ _If_ I get this job.”

After Russell hung up the phone, he turned to Noodle, who was watching and listening to him the entire time. “Didn’t I sound all professional and shit?” he said with a proud smirk on his face.

Noodle smiled and have him a thumbs up. “Hai!” she agreed.

Russell and Noodle parted as Russell left to make the arrangements for the prospective manager.

Sam was up bright and early for her seven AM flight, looking fresh faced and business ready. She put all of her long black hair in a big bun on top of her head, her bangs still falling straight down into her eyes. Wearing a form fitting black pencil skirt, emerald green peplum blouse, black opaque tights, shiny black Mary Jane heels, and a short black blazer that cinched at her waist with a single button.

Sam endured her nonstop eight hour flight by reading, listening to music, and going over basic interview question responses in her head. Not once did she close her eyes and drift off to sleep. She had never been abroad before. She had been to Mexico several times with her parents to visit her abuelos, but Mexico was right next door and they never went by plane. In fact, Sam had never flew on a plane a day in her life. Looking out of the window next to her, Sam wondered how she could’ve lived her life without seeing that kind of view. The earth beneath her looked so beautiful, she never wanted to come back down. But as soon as the plane landed all she wanted to do was kiss the sweet ground under her feet. Being trapped for eight hours in a flying steel bird was enough to make the most sane person crazy. Or at least make someone’s joints really stiff.

Sam’s heels clicked against the glossy airport floor as she made her way to luggage claim on the first floor. British accents filled the air around her, giving her culture shock already. Her suitcase rolled behind her as she made her way to the lobby where many drivers help up signs with names on it. She skimmed the area, searching for her name. Finally she came upon a white sign with **DE LA ROSA, S.** written in sloppy lettering and held by a scrawny man in his mid to late twenties with blue hair and holes for eyes. He wore a suit that looked too small for him, his ankles showing from the bottom of his pants and his sleeves hardly reaching his wrists. The driver’s cap he wore on his head seemed like the only thing that was too big for him.

Sam walked up to the man, stifling a chuckle at the way her name was spelled. “My name is Delarosa, not DE-LA-ROSA,” she said.

The driver turned the sign around to look at himself. “Oh,” he realized. He gave a bashful grin, showing off his missing front teeth. “Sorry ‘bout that, miss!”

Sam couldn’t help but smile at his squeaky accent. “It’s no big deal. At least the first initial of my name is right,” she said as they started walking towards the exit.

“Can I take your bag?” the driver asked, holding out his hand.

Sam nodded, handing over the luggage handle and said, “Thank you.” They walked up to the sleek black town car that was parked on the curb in front of the airport. The driver opened the backseat door for Sam before shoving her suitcase in the trunk and making his way to the driver’s seat.

While she sat there, Sam applied lip gloss in a small compact mirror she kept in her purse. She puckered her now glossy, plump lips in the small mirror, pulling it away from her to inspect her whole face. She had removed her nose ring and tongue piercing to seem more professional and respectable. Most of her tattoos were covered, except for the three scarlet roses that covered her neck and some of her chest piece that couldn’t be covered by the collar of her blouse. She stood by her principle that people should get jobs no matter what modifications they had to their own bodies, but she also wanted to be hired. So, she decided to cover up for the interview.

Sam snapped the compact mirror closed and looked out of the window. The car was heading towards a hill surrounded by a mass of low hanging gray clouds. If she squinted her eyes she could make out a building just at the peak of the hill. To her apprehension, she was sure that’s where her driver was taking her. She waited awhile in silence, waiting to see if the car would suddenly take a turn somewhere. But to her dismay, the car made a beeline straight to the building at the top of the gloomy looking hill.

They pulled up to a gate that eerily opened without any help from a person or machine. As they rode through what seemed like a cemetery, headstones and mausoleums passing, chilling Sam to the bone, she decided to speak up. “Um,” she hesitated as she watched a crow peck at the cemetery ground. “Where are we?” she asked wearily.

“Kong Studios!” he replied in his Crawley accent. “’S a lil creepy, isn’t it?”

Sam stifled a nervous laugh. “Could be worse, I suppose. I mean, I could be working here if everything goes well.”

The car came to a stop at the entrance of the building. The blue haired man turned in his seat, black holes staring back into her brown eyes. “You’re the first one to be interviewed. I’m sure you’ll do great!”

Sam was comforted by his words of encouragement. She found herself staring into his eyes, or what would be eyes, and quickly tried to redeem herself. “Well, I’d better go. It’s always good to be a little early for an interview.”

The driver suddenly jumped in his seat, remembering that he was supposed to open the door for her. “Oh, sorry ‘bout that!” he exclaimed, jumping out of the car and throwing open the door.

Sam stepped out of the town car, feeling the cold wind hit her like a brick.

“I’ll keep your luggage safe ‘til you’re finished,” the driver said with a friendly smile.

Sam couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you,” she said. Pulling out her wallet, she retrieved some money she had exchanged for pounds and handed the driver a five pound note. “I don’t know if you take tips, but here,” she set the paper money in his hand and went on her way to the main entrance, her heels crunching on the gravel.

2D looked down at the money she had handed him with an eyebrow raised. Shrugging, he crumpled the money in his hand and shoved it in his pocket.

Sam rang the doorbell, a shrill ring calling out for someone inside to open the door. The screen on the side of the door lit up, and a dark face with two luminous eyes appeared.

“Oh!” Was all the face said before the screen went blank again. There was a sound of unlocking bolts on the door before suddenly it creaked open, revealing the person on the screen in the flesh. “Come on in,” was the friendly response of the very large man.

Sam stepped in, taking in the gray and gloomy surroundings of the inside of the building. The walls had cracks in them, the floor had a thin coating of dust, and she didn’t want to know what that black stuff was growing on the ceiling. As a grimace began creeping up on her face, the man turned to her with a grin.

“I’m Russell Hobbs. You must be Samantha,” he said in a gruff voice. The very large and  rotund man towered over her slight figure. Sam noticed for the first time that this person was American like her and made her feel a little more at ease.

Sam shook his massive hand and gave a pleasant smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Hobbs,” she said in her most professional voice.

“Just call me, Russell,” he said, turning his giant back to her. “Follow me to the studio, that’s where we’ll start the interview.”

Stepping into the gray and damp studio, Sam felt constantly on edge. There was something very dark and foreboding about the whole place, she didn’t understand how anyone could spend their time in a place like this.

They sat in a couple of chairs in the middle of the room, Russell pulling out a clipboard with interview questions on it and a pen. He surveyed Sam’s resume again, making sure he knew everything. “So,” he began, trying to make himself sound like he knew what he was talking about. “Tell me about yourself, Samantha.”

Sam cleared her throat. “Well, I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I graduated from University of Texas with a Master’s of Business Administration magna cum laude, and interned at some of the toughest and most successful companies in Texas, which I have listed in my resume. I do believe I could be an asset to you and your team.”

Russell stroked his chin to make it seem as though he was listening intently. “Cool, so you don’t have any experience in the music industry?”

Sam bit her lip. It was the one thing she felt unsure of. Russell knew she didn’t have experience in this particular field, yet he still chose to interview her anyway. What was she supposed to say to make her the right candidate when she shouldn’t even be in the running in the first place? She took a deep breath and began to explain herself. “I do not, but I do believe that my lack of experience would push me to rise to the occasion and to learn what I need to in order to do my job. I promise that if I’m hired, you won’t know the difference between me and someone who has been a band manager for their whole life. I’m driven, persistent, organized, and punctual. No lack of experience would keep me from doing a splendid job.”

Russell was pleasantly surprised by Sam’s answer. Everything she said convinced him that she was the right person for the job, no matter her lack of experience. He just had one more question to ask her that would seal the deal. “Are you superstitious?”

The question threw her back. Sam hadn’t expected a question like that, nor did she know how to respond correctly. “Well…my family is catholic, so superstition kind of runs in my veins. What do you mean?”

“Are you afraid of ghosts?” Russell clarified.

Sam thought back to the cemetery just outside, within the gates of the building. “Uh, does this have to do with that cemetery outside? Because I really don’t mind. I think it’s kind of cool, honestly.”

Russell decided not to elaborate on his _ordeal_ with ghosts. “How close to your religion are you?” he asked wearily.

Sam raised a hidden eyebrow underneath her bangs. “I’m sorry, are you allowed to ask about my religion? I mean, you know the laws of not hiring based on religion in the U.S. but I have no clue what the deal is here in England.”

Russell chuckled to himself. “Sorry, we have a Satanist in the band, so I just want to make sure you’re not gonna flip shit when you meet him.”

Sam just looked at him with a questioning look. “A Satanist? I can’t say I’ve ever met one, but I can assure you it won’t bother me. I’m really not religious at all, it was more my parents, but I do carry around a rosary with me sometimes just to keep a piece of them with me,” she pulled out the long beaded chain from her jacket pocket and showed him.

Russell nodded and wrote something down on the pad. “Perfect,” he said before straightening his papers and setting them aside. He gave her a blank look, round white eyes staring at her, when finally he said, “When can you start?”

Sam’s eyes lit up and her butt lifted off the chair to jump for joy, but she contained herself. Instead, she gave a bright smile and gave her response. “Well, I would like to get settled in a new place here, get all of my stuff sent overseas before I can start.”

“You’ll be living here,” Russell said matter-of-factly. “Actually, 2D has already put your luggage in your permanent room.”

Sam was taken back. “Wait, who is 2D?” she asked with apprehension.

“He’s the singer of the band. He was also your driver,” Russell said.

Sam mentally slapped herself. She had tipped the singer of the band that was hiring her! Her cheeks didn’t have time to light up in embarrassment when another question came to mind. “You had a room ready for me before you even interviewed me?” she questioned.

Russell shrugged with a cheeky grin. “You were the only one who responded to the ad. I just assumed you’d take the job.”

Sam was left speechless. She had gone through all the stress of preparing answers for interview questions that weren’t even asked, she had perfectly coordinated an outfit that covered almost all of her tattoos and that still looked good on her, and she woke up super early. All to be the only candidate for the job. “I guess I _have_ to take the job, huh?”

Russell nodded with a grin on his face. “Welcome to Kong, Samantha! Noodle can show you to your room. We’re gonna all have dinner together at seven to welcome the newest member of the crew.”

With a smile, Sam shook his huge hand again and said, “Call me Sam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, part 1 is going to be pretty long. Mainly just to establish characters and relationships. I have 13 chapters already pre-written for part 1 so I will be updating chapters regularly!


	3. Part 1- Ch 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam gets settled into her new home, makes quite a first impression on Murdoc, and has a moment with 2D on the roof.

            Sam followed the young girl who had introduced herself as Noodle, the guitarist of the band, down a long dim hallway. Different paintings and pictures hung on the walls, all dreary and gothic in nature. In all, Kong Studios gave Sam the heebie-jeebies. But Sam thought of herself as a very adaptable person. Give her a roof over her head, food, and income, and she was set.

            “Here is your room,” the young Japanese girl said in a heavy accent. “I hope you like it.”

            Sam turned the knob and stepped in. For such a large and foreboding presence Kong had, the room Sam was given was very plain and ordinary. A large enough queen size bed neatly made up, a nightstand next to it with a lamp on top, a dresser with four drawers on the opposite wall, a large walk-in closet, and a small, prison-like window on the far opposite wall. The light from the lamp spilled a warm light into the room and cancelled out the gray darkness coming from the window.

            “It…should be perfect once I get my stuff in,” Sam said, trying to not sound ungrateful. “Should take about a week or so.”

            “2D put your luggage in here. Should be in your closet,” said Noodle. “You can look around more if you want until dinner. This place is _huge_.”

            Sam pulled her suitcase out of the large closet. “I may later. Right now I might just put some clothes away and call a few people to have them send my things.” Once she lugged out the heavy suitcase, she gave Noodle a friendly smile. “We should hang out sometime, though. You know, when we’re not busy working. We are the only two girls in this place, after all.”

            “I’m sure Murdoc brings more girls in here,” Noodle said with a giggle. “But yes, I would like that.”

            Sam raised an eyebrow and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Who is that?” she asked.

            “Oh, Murdoc? He plays bass. He formed the band and was running it until we hired you,” she said, lacking interest.

            “So he was in charge before? Shouldn’t I meet him?”

            “I wouldn’t be too eager to meet him, if I were you,” Noodle said, walking towards the door. “I’m going to go now, leave you alone. I must practice.”

            “Oh, of course, thank you for showing me to my room,” Sam said. As soon as Noodle left the room, Sam whipped out her cell phone and started dialing.

            _“Hello?”_ the female voice rang out on the other line of the phone.

            “LAURA!” Sam exclaimed, almost deafening the girl she was talking to. “Hold on, let me get Colin on three-way!” Sam put Laura on hold as she dialed the number to the bar Colin worked for.

            _“Hello, this is McGregor’s Pub. What’s up?”_

__ “COLIN!” Sam exclaimed at the same shrill volume as before. “I have Laura on the other line, hold on!” She pushed a button and suddenly all three of them could hear each other. “Guys, you would never believe what happened to me today,” she said, sitting on her new bed.

            “ _Sam, what did I tell you about calling here for personal reasons?”_ Colin said, ducking behind the bar so that none of the patrons saw him talking. All three of the patrons.

            _“Oh my god, Colin, it’s not like you’re busy anyway. Spill the beans, Sam! What’s up?”_ Laura said, very interested about what her best friend had to say.

            “I got a job!” Sam exclaimed again, giddily falling back onto the flat pillows. 

            _“That’s great!”_ Laura said in an encouraging voice. _“Where did you get hired?”_

            “That’s the thing…” Sam said, hesitating a little and biting her bottom lip.

            _“You didn’t get involved in the cartel, did you?”_ Colin said, peeking around to make sure the customers hadn’t noticed his absence. They hadn’t.

            _“That’s a little racist, Colin,”_ Laura chastised him.

            Sam rolled her eyes at their comments. “No, guys. I got a job as a…band manager.”

            _“What?”_ The other two said in unison. 

            “I know it’s very random, but—”

            _“How the hell did you manage to do that?”_ Laura asked doubtfully, twirling a lock of golden blonde hair around her finger.

              _“You never told us you wanted to work in the music industry,”_ Colin said, feeling a little offended that his best friend wouldn’t tell him something like that.

            “Look guys, this job came out of left field. It just kind of happened,” Sam said with a shrug.

            _“What band is it? Are they just some nobodies?”_ Laura asked.

            “Their name sounds very familiar, but honestly I don’t have a clue.”

            _“Are they Austin based? I might know them,”_ Colin said.

            “That’s another thing…” Sam paused, hesitant about how her friends would react to her move abroad. “The job is in England.”

            _“What?!”_ they both said again together.

            Before the two could go off on a tangent about how she couldn’t leave them and that they would miss her too much, Sam interjected. “Look, I’ve lived in Texas all my life. I have no ties there, really, other than you guys. I’m not married, I have no kids, and now I have a job here. It’s like…I don’t know, like fate or something? Before you guys tell me that I shouldn’t do it, I’ve already made up my mind that I’m staying.” Sam paused, waiting for her friends to respond.

            After a few seconds of silence, Colin spoke up. _“I’m proud of you, Sam,”_ he said in a sad voice. _“I can’t say I’m not gonna miss the hell out of you, but I’m so proud of you.”_

_             “Yeah, Sammy,” _ Laura joined in. _“You just graduated grad school and you already have a professional job in your field and you got out of Texas. Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get out of this place? Since the day I was born. I just want to let you know I’m going to live vicariously through you.”_

__ Sam chuckled light-heartedly at her friends’ encouraging words. “Thanks, you guys. I’m going to miss ya’ll, but I promise to call all the time and text every day. I’ll come visit and you guys can come visit me. This place is huge, we have plenty of room!”

            _“Are there any hot guys in the band?”_ Laura asked.

            “Um, the singer is kind of cute. There’s one guy I haven’t met yet, so I can’t be certain.”

            _“That’s good enough for me. I can’t wait to visit you now!”_ Laura exclaimed excitedly.

            “Well, guys, I gotta go. I’m going to unpack my clothes and try to make myself at home,” Sam said, feeling a longing to want to talk to her friends more. She still wanted to wander around the building and get herself familiar with her surroundings. The place was huge and it was going to take some time to get used to.

            _“Good luck, Sammy! We miss you already!”_ Laura said in a sing-song voice.

            _“Don’t forget about us,”_ Colin said with a tinge of sadness.

            “I could never forget my best friends. Love you guys, bye!” 

            _“Love you, bye!”_ Colin and Laura said together before all three of them hung up.

            Sam sat up, staring at her phone, longing to be back in Texas, in her own apartment and ordering pizza with Laura on her couch as they watched trashy reality television shows. A new chapter of her life was beginning, and as much as she wanted to cling on to the familiarity of the life she had in college, the safety and warmth of a familiar city in a familiar state of a familiar country, she had to move on. She had moved on when her parents died, and she had to move on now.

            After calling the moving company and asking her apartment to lend an extra pair of keys to Colin so he could let them in, Sam decided that she should venture out of her new room and get to know her new home. She stripped her stuffy professional clothing and traded it for a pair of distressed jeans, a red crop top, and black sneakers. She let her hair down from the tight bun on top of her head, her sleek black hair falling down her back. 

            Slipping out into the corridor, she quietly shut her door and padded lightly down the hall. She examined the walls and floor beneath her as she crept down the path. The walls were a dreary dark gray and the many photos and paintings were so drab and melancholy. _I wonder if they’d mind me brightening this place up a bit,_ she thought as she stepped lightly. _This place needs a serious makeover._

            Sam stopped in her tracks when she heard the opening of a door to the left just up ahead. The only black door she had seen down this hallway opened up and an olive-tinted man with a black mop-top haircut stepped out. He wore a faded black long-sleeve shirt, and brown leather boots. When he turned towards her to leave, he was surprised to see an unfamiliar face.

            He took a step back, hand on his door knob, ready to escape this stranger quickly. “Who the bloody hell are you?” he demanded. He hoped to Satan that this chick wasn’t a crazed stalker fan. He’s had a few of those, but most never get this close. They usually make it as far as the cemetery then get too creeped out and leave. 

            Sam pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to remember the name Russell and Noodle gave her that belonged to the bassist she had yet to meet. “You must be…Melvin?” she said, unsure if the name she gave was correct.

            Murdoc’s anger rose. “The name’s Murdoc, chicky, and who the bloody hell are you?!” he asked again, his voice rising in annoyance.

            Sam’s cheeks flared up from her mistake. “I’m very sorry, _Murdoc_ ,” she corrected herself. “I’m the new manager you hired.” She held out her hand for him to shake with a pearly white smile.

            Murdoc just glared at her tanned hand, then back at her, his stare intense. “I didn’t hire a bloody manager,” he growled.

            Sam reeled her hand in, putting it in her pocket. “Russell interviewed me,” she explained. It suddenly came to her that Murdoc had no clue. “Did you not know your band members were looking for a manager?” she asked.

            “I’ll kill those bloody morons!  I’ll kill ‘em for going behind my back!” He exclaimed, starting to march down the hall to find his bandmates.

            Sam, fearing for the job she hadn’t even started, lunged for the bassist, grabbing his arm. “I’m just here to be of help! I’m sure it must be tiresome to do everything yourself as well as work on music. I’m here to take some of the workload off of ya’ll.”

            Murdoc raised an eyebrow. “Where the hell are you from, Yankee?” He inquired in a calmer tone.

            Sam was taken back by the nickname he had given her. “Texas,” she replied.

            Murdoc scoffed, stepping closer to her. “You don’t look like a hick,” he said, examining her up close. She was a nice little specimen, he thought, his eyes glazing over her figure. Her bronzed skin, a curvaceous silhouette, long shiny hair, and, what were those, double D’s? _Not a bad deal,_ Murdoc thought, trying not to drool over the thought of a late night visit from his new employee. Yes, he could give her a chance.

            “Gee, thanks,” Sam said sarcastically. She gave the man a look over. He was skinny, no muscles, not that tall, that sickly green skin made her skin crawl, and that hair was _so_ outdated. And _yet_ she was oddly attracted to him. He was nothing like the guys she dated back at home. She was used to long haired hipsters with facial hair, tattoos, and washboard abs. Guys like Colin. But Murdoc, he was different—foreign. And it intrigued Sam. 

Suddenly she could feel his eyes on her. Reeling her gaze from his body to his eyes, she noticed his line of sight was straight at her chest. She furrowed her brows. It wasn’t uncommon for this kind of thing to happen. She was a busty girl; most people’s gaze fell onto her a _ssets_ at first encounter. She always had to direct their attention back to her face, first politely and then with a swift kick to the shin. She reached out and waved a hand in front of Murdoc’s eyes. “Eyes up _here.”_

He chuckled slyly. “Ah, sorry ‘bout that, pet. Sometimes my eyes…wander, heh-heh” he said. 

Sam stifled a forced laugh. “Yeah, I know how you feel. Sometimes my foot wanders into creepy old guys’ assholes,” she said with a smirk.

Murdoc grinned a sharp toothed grin. “Heh-heh, aren’t you a spicy senorita?” 

Sam curled a lip up in disgust. “Well, it was nice meeting you but I have to go…do something,” she lied, turning to walk away.

“Aye,” Murdoc called out to her. 

She turned around, her hair whipping around with her. 

“If you ever need anything, I mean _anything_ , don’t hesitate to come knock on ol’ Muds’ door,” he said with a cheeky grin.

She walked up to him again, smiling politely, and said, “And if _you_ need anything, I mean _anything_ , don’t ever knock on my door. Ever.” Smile dropping, she rolled her eyes in disgust, walking away and turning a corner, out of Murdoc’s sight.

He scratched his chin with a sharp toothed grin. “I do like a challenge,” he said to himself, letting out a dark chuckle.

Sam continued down the hall until she found an elevator. As she pressed the button and waited for the doors to open, she thought to herself, putting her hands in her tight pockets. _Disgusting old man,_ she thought. _I mean, he’s gotta be, like, a decade older than me. I would never do anything with someone that old, I mean c’mon. And that hair! Who does he think he is? Ringo Starr? Ugh, and his skin. He practically looks green. He can’t be well._ Sam let herself onto the elevator as soon as the doors opened. She glanced at the directory inside and pressed the button that led to the top floor. _The only way I’d ever do anything with him is if he were the last person on this planet._

Sam looked down and furrowed her brow. _Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I’m not sleeping with someone I work for! What is wrong with me?_ She shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her mind.  

The elevator doors opened to the dark and dank hallway of the very top floor of Kong Studio. Sam stepped out, looking around at what seemed like a totally different place. She would’ve thought she were in a totally different building if she were led there blindfolded. The hallway looked like one of a deserted office building—water stains on the ceiling and carpet, wallpaper peeling back and revealing the cement behind it, loose papers scattered here and there on the floor, and the sound of water dripping somewhere on that floor echoed throughout. It was cold and dark, save for the one lightbulb hanging by a wire in the middle of the hallway that buzzed and flickered every few seconds. 

Sam hugged herself and shivered, starting to feel a wave of uneasiness. _Maybe this was a bad idea._ _This place looks like the scene of a horror movie!_ Sam started to shuffle down the hallway, looking for an escape. A few doors down and she found what she was looking for. A dark stairwell led upwards and above it in bright red lettering was a sign that read **“ROOF ACCESS”**. “Bingo,” Sam said aloud, entering the pitch blackness of the stairwell. With each step the stairs creaked beneath her and she prayed that they wouldn’t give out under her. She held her arms out, reaching for a door that she couldn’t see. Finally, when her palms met cool steel, she searched for the bar on the door, and when she did she pushed on it and a ray of gray light shone through. 

Letting the door swing behind her, Sam looked around at her surroundings. The roof was nothing special, but it did have a view. She walked over to the railing and looked out at the vast landfill just below. Sam curled her lip up in disgust. “How can somebody live here?” she asked herself aloud.

“’S really not that bad.”

Sam spun around to see the blue haired driver from earlier that day. “Oh, it’s you,” she said in surprise. “You’re, uh, the singer for the band, right?”

“Yeah,” he said. He put his hand in his pants’ pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. When he held it out to her, Sam recognized it as English money. “Here, this is yours.”

Sam’s cheeks were aflame. She quickly reached out and took the five pounds and shoved it into her jeans’ pocket. “I am _so_ sorry about that. I had no idea.”

2D just shrugged it off. “’S awright. You didn’t know.” He joined her at the railing and looked out. “’Ave you settled in yet?” he asked.

Sam turned around and leaned on the rail. “I don’t think I’ll be quite settled in yet until I have my belongings. I hope they get here fast.”

2D nodded and looked at her. He had never really seen anyone like her. Her tan skin, thick dark hair, and tattoos—tattoos everywhere. “How many you got?” he said, pointing at her arm that was covered.

“Huh?” Sam questioned, looking down at her arm. “Oh! My tattoos…” she said after she realized what he was referring to. “I’m not sure. I stopped counting after twenty,” she said with a smile, looking down at her arm and grazing over a colorful sugar skull on her forearm. She looked up at him and smiled. “Do you have any?”

2D shook his head. “No, I don’ really like pain,” he said.  

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I guess it’s not for everyone.” 

Sam furrowed her brows and looked out at the trash filled landscape, watching as the setting sun tried to escape from behind the never-ending clouds. She imagined how the sunset looked back in Texas. Clear skies turned orange and pink as the sun set just over Lady Bird Lake. The view from her apartment gave her a clear view of that perfect sunset, and the thought that she wouldn’t be able to see that picturesque scene everyday gave her a wistful feeling in her heart.

She looked over at the man next to her. He was also looking out at the view, biting his lower lip. Those two holes on his face where eyes should be, gazing out at the gray sky. Sam wondered how someone could have holes for eyes. She figured it rude to ask. After all, they are practically strangers. So, she decided to ask something neutral. “So, your name is 2D, right? What does that stand for?”

2D perked up, turning his attention to her. “Well, issa funny story, really,” he began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo, anyone out there? Please let me know what you think of the story so far! It's definitely a build up, but it will all be worth it!


	4. Part 1- Ch 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam starts her first day of work, where she realizes she might be a little in over her head. Murdoc also realizes he's met his match, and he's not sure if he likes it or not.

Technically Sam couldn’t work until she got her visa, but the three months she would have to take to finally receive one was too long to not have a steady income. And she was sure her employers wouldn’t just let her live in their huge house for free. Not to mention Murdoc was anxious to get her started. After all, the manager would be working practically side by side with him.

Sam was given a week to wait for her belongings and get settled in before actually starting her work. She was happy for it, because as soon as her stuff arrived at Kong in a big crate it took her three days to put everything in its proper place. It made her living space slightly more bearable. Sure, the rest of the building was something of a nightmare, but at least she could escape to the comfort of her room to make her feel more at ease.

She was stringing up lights around her ceiling when she heard her bedroom door open with a creak. When she turned around, her olive-skinned neighbor was leaning against the doorframe and scanning the room with a criticizing eye.

“Where are the sombreros and cactus plants?” He genuinely asked.

Sam rolled her eyes at the ignorant statement. “asshole,” she muttered to herself, curling her top lip up. “What are you doing in here?” She asked him, turning her attention back to the lights, pushing a thumb tack into the drywall to keep them in place.

“Just wanted to get a look-see at where I’ll be spending my nights in the near future,” he said with a deep chuckle. He admired the bed, smoothing the fluffy white comforter with the palm of his hand. “It’s good ya got so many pillows. Don’t want ya lying your head on such a hard mattress without a nice cushion when you’ll be on your back so much.”

Sam strung up the last of the lights and stepped down from the stool she was using. “Actually, I prefer to be on top,” she said without hesitation, picking up the stool and placing it back at her desk. She turned to him with a smirk on her face.

“I _do_ like cowgirls,” said Murdoc, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. “How do ya like it here at Kong Studio so far, hmm?” He sat down on the bed. Somehow this bed had gotten softer than the last time he had felt it when he used that room for late night appointments. He pressed his hand down into the mattress. His handprint stayed there for a few seconds before slowly rising again to normal.

“I’ve made a few adjustments to make my stay a bit more comfortable. Like putting a memory foam pad on top of my mattress,” she said with a wink, noticing how Murdoc’s face turned confused when he felt the mattress. “The rest of the building needs some work done too. After I review the band’s finances I might call some contractors to fix this place up.” She sat next to Murdoc, looking around at her finished bedroom with accomplishment.

Murdoc was taken back. “Ya ain’t hiring anyone without my say so, girlie.”

Sam raised a challenging eyebrow. “Well then, what’s your say on it?”

Murdoc scratched his chin in contemplation. “Well, I haven’t looked at the finances in about…a year…” he trailed off, thinking about the last time he had _actually_ looked at the band’s financial records.

Sam groaned. “A _year_ without knowing how much income your making?” she questioned dubiously.

“Well…” Murdoc’s voice started to go higher. “Maybe a year and a half…”

Sam palmed her forehead. “I’m going to have to hire an accountant. There’s no way you guys can actually live like this. Where’s my to-do list?” She started to stand up, but Murdoc grabbed her by the arm, making her fall back onto her butt on the bed.

“Isn’t that what we hired _you_ for? Ya _manage_ things!” he exclaimed.

Sam shook her head. “I don’t have a degree in accounting, I have a degree in business! There’s a big difference! Murdoc, I’m hiring an accountant, that’s final. Why are you so against this?”

Murdoc let out a loud groan and fell back onto the fluffy pillows. “The taxes…” he grumbled inaudibly.

Sam leaned back so she could see the man’s face. “The what?”

“The taxes! Bloody taxes!” Murdoc shouted.

Sam jumped at his sudden outburst. “What about them?!”

“The bloody taxes haven’t been filed in _two years_!”

Sam’s eyes went wide with shock. “You’ve been committing tax evasion for _two fucking years!_ ” Her eyes rolled and she let out a pained groan, throwing herself back onto the pillows as well. “Murdoc, you could go to jail.”

“Don’t you think I bloody well know that?” he said through his teeth, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at her. “That’s why _you_ —” he jabbed his finger in her face. “—Need ta take care of the money.” He said in a low voice.

Sam cringed at the thought of all of those numbers. She had to take plenty of math classes back in college, but she despised every one of them. “I guess I need to brush up on my math,” she mumbled.

She looked up and found Murdoc looking down at her seductively. “Ya know, this is quite the compromising position we’re in, heh-heh.”

Sam rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. “You are just asking for a sexual harassment lawsuit, aren’t you?”

“Hah, I suppose you got me there, luv,” Murdoc sat up on the edge of the bed and pushed himself up to stand. “       But if ya change yer mind, ya know where I live,” he said, stepping towards the door.

Sam sat up as well. “Don’t hold your breath,” she said, following him as he stood just in the doorway. The two only stood inches apart, an intensity building in their eyes. “Just drop it, Muds. There’s no way you’re getting in my pants.”

Murdoc, with a sharp-toothed grin, took that as a challenge. “Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

Sam shook her head. “No, we _won’t_ see because it’s not gonna happen! I don’t sleep with my employers. Plain and simple,” she said. “And besides, even if that wasn’t the case. You’re not my type,” she said with a smug look on her face. Knowing she had bested him, Sam closed the door in his face. She knew it wasn’t the best way to get on the “boss’s” good side, but then again, she didn’t want to know what it took to get on Murdoc’s good side.

She leaned against her door, grinning in triumph. But something bothered her. Something tingled in the pit of her stomach. Like butterflies intensely flapping their colorful wings. She wrapped her arms around her own torso, trying to stop that giddy feeling. The feeling she wasn't so unfamiliar with, but it made her uncomfortable nonetheless. They were flirting, and she liked it.

Sam slapped her palm to her forehead. “Why am I like this?” She asked herself. It had only been a week and she was already flirting with the first attractive guy she saw. _Well,_ she mused. _He's not that attractive in the looks department. And he's such a pig! Ugh! So why do I keep flirting with him?_ She banged her head against the solid door, trying to get that mischievous grin of his out of her head.

The next day, Sam was led to the primary office of Kong Studio by none other than the bassist she shared a floor with. The room was big with gray walls and no windows, large tin filing cabinets lined the walls and a large rectangular desk sat in the middle. The room was clean for the most part, except for a few loose papers that scattered the floor and a file that was so fat it was bursting from the top of one of the cabinets. Sam wondered why they had so many.

“Why are there so many filing cabinets? Surely you don't have _that_ many financial records on hand,” she said as she bit her bottom lip and prayed she was right. But by the serious look on Murdoc’s face, she had a bad feeling that she was, in fact, wrong.

“No, I just collect ‘em because I like the way they look with a bunch of blank paper in ‘em,” he replied, sarcasm dripping in every word.

Sam’s jaw dropped in shock. “How much are y'all spending?” She bent over and picked up a pile of loose paper from the floor. They were printed out receipts, and on the total of each one read a number with at least 6 numbers before a decimal point. She gasped as she read aloud the products of the spending. "A marble jacuzzi, a gold shower head, leather reupholstering for _fifty_ cinema chairs...a limited edition flame-throwing Fender bass guitar?! Murdoc, this spending is ludicrous for a band in financial trouble!”          

Murdoc perched himself on top of the desk and gave her a scowl. “Look, I don’ pay ya ta criticize how I spend my own bloody money. Just balance the check books and see how much money we got left.”

San cringed at the thought of going through all the filing cabinets in the room. “Murdoc, getting the band’s finances together is going to take weeks if not months. There's too much for just one person to do, especially someone who doesn't have experience working with these kinds of records. You need a professional,” she said, shoving the papers into Murdoc’s hands.

Murdoc threw the papers over his shoulder and ground his teeth. He wasn't used to taking orders, especially from a woman. “I thought _you_ were the professional here! That's why Russ hired you!”

Sam groaned in frustration. “I’m not your damn accountant!” She shouted. Sam took a deep breath in and released it, including her rising anger. She pushed her bangs back from her face but they just fell back onto her forehead. “Look, I'll even hire an accountant for you. Hell, I'll even pay myself. But I'm gonna need a raise in my salary,” she reasoned in a calmer tone.

Murdoc took a second to process the request, and with a sly smirk, he replied, “How about you pay for an accountant, and I'll repay you with an orgasm?”

Sam glared at the bassist. “Orgasms don't pay the bills. And even if they did, I wouldn't be able to pay mine with _you_.”

Murdoc chuckled heartily. “Now now, is that any way to talk to the person who employed you?”

Sam sneered. “ _You_ didn't hire me, Russell hired me! You didn't even want a manager!”

“What bloody bills do you need to pay anyway? You're living here for free!”

Sam whipped out her cell phone. “Phone bill, car payment, the electricity bill from my apartment for last month, and I still owe money for breaking my lease. Anymore questions about me or can we get back to your financial troubles here?”

“Yeah, I got one more question,” Murdoc said with a terrible twinkle in his eye. “What kind of panties ya wearing?”

If Sam rolled her eyes any more, they would've gotten stuck in the back of her head, but something inside her wanted to humor him. It had been awhile since she had flirted with someone. Usually when she wanted someone, all she had to do was give them a look and they were hooked. But this banter, the back and forth had her wanting more. So, she played along. She smirked, turning away from him. “I don't wear underwear.” She bent down to pick up a few loose papers tossed on the floor.

When Sam bent over, Murdoc’s eyes made a beeline for her rear. It looked plump yet firm, like a peach ready to be picked. The tight burgundy pencil skirt she wore left practically nothing to the imagination. And she was right. No panty lines in sight. He groaned inwardly. _She’s gonna be fun to work with…_ he thought deviously to himself.

Sam could feel his eyes on her. Smirking playfully, she straightened back up again, pulling the hem of her skirt down to make sure she was being modest. When she turned around to meet his gaze, she found him eyeing her like a wild hyena stalking its prey, a maleficent grin on his smug face. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Murdoc hopped off the desk and stepped closer to her, minimizing any space they had between each other. “Why d’ya dress like that?”

Sam furrowed her brow and looked down at her clothes. She had on a matching blazer and skirt combination she bought at a young professional’s store. She had on sheer black tights and sensible black heels for comfort and style. Her thick black hair was tied up in a big bun on top of her head. “What do you mean? I'm trying to be professional here,” she said with a frown.

Murdoc eyed her with scrutiny. “I dunno, I just thought you could loosen up a bit, ya know? This is your home, afta’ all. Don't want ya being uncomfortable in the place ya live.”      

Sam tugged on the front button of her blazer. It was true, she didn't feel comfortable in an outfit like that, but she wanted to play the part. Now it just seemed like she was over compensating. “Well what am I supposed to wear?” She asked. “I was just trying to be appropriate.”

Murdoc waved his hand as if shooing that thought away. “Don’t worry ‘bout it! Wear whateva’ your heart desires, luv. And if your heart desires you to wear a sexy maid’s outfit, then you go right ahead and do it.”

Sam shook her head at the man. “I'm sure _you_ would enjoy that, but I'm not sure how the others would take it,” she said, unbuttoning the one button on her blazer. “I will, however, take this thing off,” she slid the burgundy jacket off of her shoulders and tossed it onto the desk. Underneath was a cream colored silk blouse with buttons down the middle. She unbuttoned a couple off the top, feeling like she could breathe again. All of those constricting layers were squeezing her breasts down, and now she felt like she could finally take a deep breath. “That's much better. I actually might take you up on the offer of changing my work wardrobe. I'd much rather work in a t-shirt and jeans,” she confessed.

But Murdoc wasn't paying much attention. His eyes were glued to the cleavage she now presented between the buttons on her shirt. “Right, right…” was all he muttered to pretend that he was hearing what she was saying.

Sam wasn't stupid, though. She could tell how transfixed he was with her chest, so she moved past him and sat in the plush chair behind the desk, crossing her legs and getting comfortable for a long day of sitting. “If you don't mind, Murdoc, I have to get to work now. I have a lot to get done today. Don't bother me unless it's something serious, please,” she said very mechanically. She was just trying to get him out so she could focus on her job. She had a feeling this was going to happen often.

“Kicking me out already, eh? That's how you show your gratitude towards your boss?” He said, putting his hands on the desk and leaning forward. Looking down on her, he could faintly peek down into her shirt.

Sam picked up a file from the desk and held it to her chest to ward of Murdoc’s gaze. “I'm very gracious to be working here, Mr. Niccals.” Murdoc cringed at the formality. “But I really must be getting down to business as soon as possible,” she gave him a polite smile and set off to reviewing the contents on the file in her hands. She figured if she went into business mode and shut down the flirting he would leave her alone. She was right, because when she looked up he was leaving out the door, with not even a glance backwards.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Working with him was going to be tempting. She hadn't had sex in a couple of weeks, and to Sam that was like living in a convent. It was only a matter of time before she would get so frustrated that she would take Murdoc up on his offer to visit his bedroom. Sam tried to shake the thought out of her mind. _No Sam, you can't sleep with clients!_ She took up some papers and tapped them on the desk to straighten them. _Just give it a couple of days, then you can go out to a pub somewhere and meet someone._ She laid the papers out on the desk in front of her and sighed. _Okay, maybe I'd better go tonight._            

By the time the clock struck six o'clock, Sam looked up from the spreadsheets she had made and glanced at the clock. “Ugh,” she groaned, stretching her arms above her head, eliciting a nice purr as her stiff joints popped and cracked from staying in one position for so long. She had worked for eight hours straight, only stopping for bathroom and coffee breaks.

She set all of her paperwork aside and stood from her chair, stiff knees rejoicing in a chance to move about. Releasing about ten bobby pins from her bun, her hair rippled like a black wave down her back. She gathered her cell phone, bedroom key, and coffee mug, making her way out of the gray office. She'd have to remember to redecorate if she was going to spend most of her time in there. She shuffled to the door and threw it open, only to be greeted by the young Japanese girl named Noodle.

“Oh, hey Noodle,” Sam greeted her, surprised to see her.

“Samantha-san, dinner,” Noodle said. Sometimes Sam had a hard time reading Noodle. Sometimes she thought that Noodle liked her, other times she thought maybe Noodle just tolerated everyone there. Then again, Sam had only talked with Noodle a couple of times. Once when Sam first arrived, and the other when they passed each other in the hallway, merely exchanging pleasantries. Sam put it on her mental to-do list to hang out with her more.

“Oh, okay I'll be right down,” Sam replied with a smile.

“We're eating together tonight. All of us,” Noodle said with a small smile, as if she was trying to hide her joy. She liked it when the band was all together, not working and arguing, but hanging out and conversing. They hadn't had a family dinner in a long time. Probably not since their first album dropped, which was a couple of years ago.

Sam was shocked. “Eating together? What's the occasion?”

Noodle shrugged and smiled. “You,” was all she said and started down the hall away from Sam.

Sam raised a brow at the girl as she walked away but didn't ask any further questions and let the conversation be the end of that. Before heading off to the hardly used dining room, Sam went off to her bedroom to drop off her things and change into something more comfortable- a crop top and some shorts.

Retreating out of her room, she made her way down to the dining room via the rickety old elevator. On top of everything else on her to-do list, she would have to call an inspector to sign off on the safety of the elevators in the whole building. She let out a sigh of relief when she safely arrived on the second floor in one piece.

Opening the door to the dining room, she realized she'd never seen the room with people in it. She had only been in there once before on a tour given by 2D after they had formally introduced each other.

The room was big—big floor-to-ceiling windows gave a nice view of the landfill outside where you could see the sunset just over the piles of rotting garbage, a deep faded purple color covered the walls, and Sam was surprised to find beautiful crown molding that seemed to be untouched by some of the water stains on the ceiling and walls (though she wasn't sure how water stains appeared on the second floor of a twelve story building), and the beautifully carved deep mahogany oval table in the center of the room with matching intricate chairs sitting around it.

Three out of the four band members sat in their seats at the table. Russell practically took up two chairs. He was typing something on his sidekick phone, maybe texting someone important. Noodle was kicked back in her chair across the table, boot-clad feet propped up on the tabletop while an acoustic guitar occupied her lap. She turned the different tuning pegs and plucked specific strings, listening with a skilled ear for that perfect sound. Lastly, 2D sat facing the windows, looking out with an elbow propped on the table and his head leaning against it. His eyes looked droopy and empty as he looked out at the sunset.

Sam was disappointed (much to her disliking) to see that Murdoc was not in attendance. If he were there, she'd probably sit as far away from him as possible, but still making tantalizing glances his way. Seeing as though this was not the case, Sam chose a random chair, sitting in between Russell and 2D. She sat there and sighed, tapping her finger nails on the glossy finished tabletop.

She sat there for a few minutes, just listening to the typing of Russell's big fingers on a small cellphone keyboard and Noodle’s guitar strumming. After those few minutes, Sam felt her patience wearing thin and she decided to be the first to say something. “So…why are we here?” She mumbled out loud, not really asking anyone in particular.

Seeing as though 2D was the only one listening, he snapped out of his reverie and turned his attention to his manager. “Noods wanted us all to have dinner togeva to welcome you. Seems like Muds isn't gonna make it though,” 2D said, glancing at the only remaining empty chair across from him. “She's gonna be mad at ‘im, that's for sure.”

Sam glanced at the young guitarist. No wonder they were all just waiting around. Noodle wanted everyone to have dinner together. She felt a tinge of sadness for her. She'd have to have a conversation with Murdoc the next time she saw him.

Sam stood from her chair and cleared her throat. “Well, it seems like we're going to be the only ones attending dinner tonight. So why don't we just—” She was suddenly interrupted when the door swung open and Murdoc stood in the doorway, arms full of pizza boxes.

“Why don't we just what, luv?” Murdoc said, giving Sam a cocky smirk.

Sam crossed her arms in from of her and jutted out her hip. “You're late for dinner. You had us all waiting.”

Murdoc scoffed, setting the pizza boxes in the middle of the table. “How can I be late for dinner when I'm the one who brought it, hmm? Everyone else is just simply early.”

Sam frowned disapprovingly. “Next time can you try being a little more considerate?”

Murdoc chuckled hardily. _Who does this broad think she is? Thinks she can tell me what to do!_ He thought bemusedly. “The man with the food don’ have to be _considerate_. The people waiting for his arrival should be more grateful.”

Sam leaned over the table, glaring at Murdoc. Murdoc met her halfway, giving her a challenging look. They both looked each other in the eye, waiting for the other to back down as the others just watched them.

Russell contemplated recording on his phone just in case a fight broke out and he could post it on the internet. 2D sat back anxiously in his chair, hoping and praying they wouldn't lash out on each other, causing him more anxiety. Noodle just watched the pizza boxes that sat between the two on the table, really wishing they would shut up and sit down so they could eat.

Noodle cleared her throat, setting her guitar to the side. “Can you two kill each other later so that we can eat?” She asked calmly.

Sam broke her intense glare and started spreading out the pizza boxes so everyone could reach them. “We're not going to kill each other, we will simply talk it over like two adult coworkers, right Murdoc?” When she looked over, Murdoc was already digging in to his first slice of pizza, not paying a lick of attention to her. “ _Murdoc!”_ She bellowed.

Murdoc groaned, setting his pizza down. “For Satan’s sake, woman, do you ever stop talking?”

Sam narrowed her eyes at him. Reaching over, she grabbed a slice of extra greasy pepperoni pizza, and with the precision of a sniper, she chucked the slice right into Murdoc's face. The pizza stuck there for a few seconds, then slowly started to slide off his face until it finally fell in a heap in Murdoc's lap. “Enjoy your dinner,” Sam said with a smirk and a look of victory on her face.

Murdoc ground his teeth together in fury. “I think we'll have that talk now, _Sammy_ ,” he growled through his teeth.

With a smug look on her face, Sam rose from her chair and followed Murdoc out of the room.

Once they were a safe distance down the hall, Murdoc managed to take hold of Sam’s arm tightly and slam her back against the wall. “What the bloody hell is wrong with you, woman?!” He shouted in her face.

Sam just blinked, astonished at Murdoc's forcefulness. His dark, mysterious eyes burning into hers. Her heart raced, and she could feel a heat between her legs. _Ah, for fuck’s sake, Samantha, you have problems,_ she thought, chastising herself for becoming aroused. “What's wrong with _me?_ What the _bloody hell_ is wrong with _you!”_ Sam shouted back just as loud. She jerked her arm away from him, realizing his grip on her wasn't that tight after all. “And don't you _ever_ touch me like that again or I will sue your ass!”

_“_ Sorry, love, I didn't know you don't like it rough, heh-heh,” Murdoc teased.

Sam slapped Murdoc on his chest. “What did I say about sexual harassment? That’s also grounds for suing!”

“Are you on your period? ‘Cause PMS would make a whole ‘lotta sense right now,” he asked.

Sam grabbed fistfuls of her hair and tugged, wanting to rip it out. But she controlled her rage, running her fingers through her hair instead. She took a deep breath and stepped back. “Since I don't want to get fired for shoving my fist into your face, I'm going to walk away, go upstairs to my room, get dressed, and go out.”

“Where the bloody hell are you going?” Demanded Murdoc.

“None of your _bloody_ business!” Sam turned away from him and made her way to the elevator, leaving Murdoc to fume.

Sam tore through her bedroom, ripping clothes from her closet and tossing them on her bed. Angrily, she undressed herself, tossing all of her clothes to the floor in a pile. She slipped into a tight mini dress, some stiletto heels, threw on a leather jacket, and stormed out.

Making her way through the halls, Sam muttered to herself. “ _Pinche pendejo_ ,” she said under her breath. “I swear to god I have never met a more insufferable man in my life! Who the hell does he think he is? Walking around like he's _una grande pinche cosa._ I should get a lawyer as soon as I get my visa. The next time that bastard lays his hands on me it's lawsuit central, baby.”

As soon as her taxi arrived, Sam hopped in and asked to go to the nearest pub. _I just need a few drinks in me_ , she thought, trying to calm herself. _And a cute guy in me, too._


	5. Part 1- Ch 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam brings a new guy home to Kong, but she gets a little side tracked with Murdoc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT IS WEDNESDAY MY DUDES. So, I really need a better updating schedule so I have chosen Wednesday to be update day. That might change over the course of time, since school is starting very soon and I will be starting a new job, but I will try my best to stick with this schedule.  
> AND big thanks to BigBabbyFrosty for your lovely comment! Comments really do give me the drive to keep going, so thank you very much.  
> *This chapter is sexual in nature, but there is no outright smut. Only sexual innuendos and big hints of sex.*

Sam fumbled with the keys at the front door of Kong Studios. Her vision blurred a little as she tried to stick the key into the lock. “The lock can be a liiiittle tricky,” Sam slurred. “Aha!” The lock finally slid in and she turned the key, opening the door. “This lock and key is gonna be kinda like us in a little bit,” she said seductively to her male companion that stood next to her.

The guy laughed. “Yeah but instead of sliding in, how about I pound my key in your lock?”

Sam gave him a smirk. “Only if your key fits.” She led him down the dark hallways of the building. The pictures on the walls seemed to follow them with their eyes.

“Don't worry,” the man said, pulling Sam back and pushing her again the wall. “I'm sure I can make it fit.”

Sam raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. “I hope you do,” she said breathlessly. “But let's try to make it to the bedroom first.”

The two took the lift up, leaning on the railings because they were so drunk they could hardly stand. When the elevator doors slid open, they fumbled down the hallway to Sam’s bedroom door.

Curiosity getting the best of her, Sam craned her neck to see Murdoc’s door. Light flooded through from the crack underneath, signaling that he was home, and he was awake. Sam cracked a devious grin and started to pull the man towards Murdoc's door.

“Wait, I thought that was your room. Where are we going?” The man asked in a slurred voice.

“I just need to do something real quick,” Sam said, determination rushing through her.

She knocked on the black door with a heavy hand. “Murdoc, you _pendejo,_ open up!” She continued to bang loudly until the sound of the door knob twisting stopped her.

Murdoc stood there in the doorway, wearing nothing but a tight pair of white briefs and his inverted cross necklace. He didn't look so happy to have a drunk woman banging at his door and shouting loudly. Usually he was banging drunk women on his bed while they shouted loudly. Now that was pleasant, but this…this was more of a headache.

“For Satan’s sake, woman, what d’ya fuckin’ want?” Murdoc exclaimed.

Sam, with a smug look on her face, pointed to the man she had taken home with her. “You see this? _This_ is the kinda man _I_ sleep with. Tall, muscled, and young. Unlike you, _grandpa!_ ” When she was done she crossed her arms in front of her and waited for a response.

Murdoc raised an eyebrow underneath his black mop of hair. After a few seconds of silence, he bursted into laughter. “D’ya really think I give a shit about who you're banging, luv? Trust me, as long as you're shagging anyone that's not me, you’re the one missing out.”

Sam let out a frustrated groan, balling her hands into fists. “I would never _shag_ a disgusting old man like you! So just get it out of your mind!”

“I have a feeling _you’re_ the one with it on your mind since you're the one that paid _me_ a visit instead of taking this bloke to your room,” said Murdoc, eyeing the young man with suspicious eyes.

The guy was taken aback. “C’mon, babe, why are we even talking to this codger?”

“Shut up, Tom,” Sam snapped, then turned her attention back to Murdoc.

“That's not even my name!” The guy said. “Y’know what? I came here for a good shag, but if we're not doing that, I'm just gonna leave.”

“You really think a woman like me would actually be thinking about banging a guy like you? You're more delusional than I thought!” Sam said, totally ignoring the man she had brought there.

“A broad like you would be lucky to shag me! I'm a rockstar, remember, luv?” Murdoc said with an air of confidence.

Sam scoffed. “I've fucked plenty of rockstars, thank you, and all better looking than you.”

“The local hillbilly with a guitar doesn't count, love,” Murdoc shot back.

Sam gawked at him, then turned back to see her companion’s reaction. “Can you believe him, Ted?” She asked, but when she turned she realized there was no one there. She turned her head, looking around to see where he went.

Murdoc burst into laughter seeing her reaction. “Looks like your late night fix just ditched ya, luv,” he said in between cackles.

Knitting her brows together in frustration, she turned back to Murdoc. “What a fucking _puto_! He couldn't even wait two seconds!”

“Did ya even know the bloke’s name?” Asked Murdoc.

Sam paused, pondering for a bit. “I wanna say Trevor,” she said, slurring her words quite a bit. She rolled her eyes, stumbling a little, the alcohol in her system throwing off her equilibrium. She tossed Murdoc a glance, noticing that he was staring at her very present cleavage. She couldn't help but notice that his briefs had gotten tighter around his package.

Sam took a deep breath, weighing her options in her current situation. _Okay Sam, you can either walk away from this situation and pull out the vibrator for the night, or you can lower your standards for one night and maybe even get some head._ She shrugged internally. _At least I won't have to look at him._ She breathed out a sigh, knowing her answer.

“Today's your lucky day, Muds,” she said with a seductive smirk. “I've got a problem and it looks like you're the answer to it.”

Murdoc couldn't help but chuckle. Of course she would come crawling to him now that her only option ran away from her. But was last resort sex something he would stoop so low for just to bang the girl he’s been eying for weeks now? _I’ve shagged broads for worse reasons,_ he thought. _But I shouldn't give her what she wants so easily._

All his thoughts melted away when he felt Sam’s damp breath on his neck and soft hands on his chest. “Come on, Muds. You know you want this,” she whispered in his ear, pressing her body firmly against his.

“Sorry, luv, but if I gave into every bird that begged me to shag them, there'd be a queue wrapped ‘round the entire building five times.” Murdoc put his hands on her hips to push her away, but the sharp prick of Sam’s teeth nibbling on his earlobe stopped him in his tracks and produced a moan of pleasure.

Sam chuckled at Murdoc’s response. “I'm sorry, what were you saying again?” She asked teasingly.

“Heh-heh, get in here, ya cheeky tart.” Murdoc grabbed Sam by the wrist and pulled her into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Once inside, Sam’s eyes wandered. She had never seen the inside of Murdoc’s bedroom. It was dark—the walls were painted a deep blood red, the bed was extravagant with pillars that draped black silk around the perimeter, black silk sheets were rumpled on the bed with matching pillows propped up against the wall, black candles were placed everywhere around the room, some in perfect condition and some melted to the surface they were on, human skull props were also a scattered decoration, and a large pentagram painted in black was illustrated on the wall opposite of the bed. It was all very…Murdoc. “Who does your decorating? Marilyn Manson?” She asked with a chuckle.

“Wot, that manky tosser? That twat’s just a poser,” said Murdoc. “But enough talking, luv, more _action.”_

Sam giggled, stumbling into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. “You know, this may be the vodka talking, but you're _really_ sexy right now.”

“I think you've finally come to your senses,” Murdoc said, pressing his fingers into the middle of her back, finding the clasps to her bra and unsnapping them.

Sam allowed Murdoc to undress her as her lips went to work on his neck, sucking and nipping at every inch of the green-hued flesh. When their lips finally met, Sam's dress, along with her bra, fell in a puddle at her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little short, but next chapter will be a bit longer than most, so hopefully that makes up for it.


	6. Part 1- Ch 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam wakes up with a fuzzy memory but Murdoc is happy to remind her of their steamy night. Embarrassed and ashamed, she leaves for work quickly, leaving Murdoc feeling a little emasculated in her wake. At work, Sam helps out 2D with a favor and uses him as an escape from her pestering thoughts of Murdoc. 2D finds himself catching feelings for Sam, but is wary of her interest in Murdoc and tries to warn her against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! As promised, here is the new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy. Things are moving along now, but this is kind of a slow burn story. Also, I made a playlist that inspired me to write part 1 on Spotify, I'll have it linked in the story summary. It really gives you a feel for the overall tone of part 1 and where it will be going (and you will also get a chance to see what Sam actually looks like on the cover of the playlist!). I'll have a playlist for each part to come too!

Sam could feel a damp spot on her cheek as she laid in bed. She lifted her head to wipe the drool from all along the side of her face, but just the slightest move sparked an intense headache. She groaned, pressing her head back on the drool soaked pillow.

“Fuck me,” she said aloud, moving her hand to clutch her throbbing head.

“Already done that, luv,” said a gruff voice from next to Sam in the bed.

Sam’s eyes grew wide when she realized she was not alone, then she realized she was not in her own bed, then she realized how incredibly naked she was. There she was, naked as the day she was born, sprawled out, half on top of Murdoc.

She rolled over onto her back and sat up, receiving a head rush along the way. She held her head in her hands until she felt stable again. “Oh god, please don't tell me…” she said, her head lolling back.

“I don't think I have to tell you anythin’, love,” Murdoc said with a devious grin.

Sam gripped the black silk sheets around her as she tried to remember the night before. She remembered being at the pub and some guy kept buying her drinks and taking shots with her. She remembered taking him back to Kong Studios for a good time, but between then and now was all fuzzy. “I change my mind, just tell me.”

Murdoc chuckled. “Can't remember, can ya’? Can't say I blame ya, you were trashed outta ya’ bloody mind.” He sat up next to her and snatched the sheets out of her hands. “Don'tcha think it's a little too late for modesty?”

Sam glared at him, crossing her arms over her exposed chest. “Just tell me what happened, you ass,” she demanded.

“Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a twist,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean, if you had any on, heh-heh.” Murdoc ignored Sam's eye roll and continued. “Well, you brought your escort home to shag but you paid me a visit instead.”

Sam slapped her forehead with her palm, but immediately regretted it when her headache spiked. She somehow was able to collect her memories and now remembered the entire night in great detail. She lowered herself down slowly onto the pillows, ignoring the drool puddle she laid her head on. “Fuck,” she whispered to herself. “I remember.”

Murdoc laid on his side, propping himself up with his elbow and looked down at Sam’s disappointed face. “Don't look so down, love. From my perspective, you really looked like you were having quite the time.”

Sam laughed despite herself. “It was…the best sex I've ever had,” she admitted, more to herself than to Murdoc.

Murdoc burst into laughter. “Can't say I'm surprised! But I must say,” he said with a grin. “You're in my top three.”

Sam gave him a deadpan look. “Ugh.” She kicked the sheets off of her and slowly stood.

Murdoc watched as she gathered her clothes from the floor and started putting each article back on. “Where are you going?” He asked from the bed.

Hooking her bra on, Sam said, “To work. Well, first I'm gonna shower and change clothes, but then I'm going to work.”

Murdoc inched towards the edge of the bed and sat up, dangling his legs off the edge. “Wanna shower together?”

“No,” Sam replied deadpan.

“Aw c’mon, Sammy. You know, it’s a bit too late to be playing hard to get.”

“I have to get to work, Murdoc,” she said before pulling her dress over her head.

Murdoc knit his brows together as he watched her quickly try to pull herself together to leave him. He wasn’t used to women trying to leave him so fast. _He_ was usually the one to leave first, but now that the shoe was on the other foot, he wanted her to stay longer. Mainly because _he_ wanted to be the one to leave first. “Oh, yeah, no, I-I have to be going too. It’s for the best, ya’ know, I’m a very busy man.”

Sam paid him no mind as she gathered her shoes in her hands. “Sure, Muds. I’ll see you around,” she muttered before slipping out into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind her.

Murdoc watched the door for a minute, waiting to see if she would come back, but she didn’t. He furrowed his brow and ground his teeth in fury, more at himself than anything. _What’s wrong with ya’, Muds? Gone all soft because some tart is playing your own game?_ He huffed, getting out of bed. _Well, it is_ my _game after all. I’ll just show her that I play it best._ He chuckled aloud at his plot.

 

Sam, after washing up and changing into clean clothes, stumbled into her office with a pair of wide sunglasses that took up most of her face and a mug of coffee. She dragged her feet to her desk and fell into the plush rotating chair with an “oof”. She set her coffee on the table and rubbed her temples as she stared down at the files of paperwork that needed to be done. “Aw, shit,” she mumbled under her breath, wincing at the pain her head gave off. “I forgot pain killers,” she said. She curiously began rummaging through the drawers of the desk, hoping to find a bottle of aspirin, but she came up with nothing. She settled with lying her head down on the folders.

After a couple of minutes and almost falling asleep, Sam raised her head and opened the files. “I guess I'll work today,” she grumbled, picking a pen up and starting on the paper work.

 

2D was never really one to ask for help. Most of the time he just wandered through life without a single clue. But today— today was the exception. Now that they had a new manager, 2D didn't feel so frightened to ask for things. Unlike their last manager, which was Murdoc, Sam was actually pleasant, and 2D couldn't help but take a shining to her.

2D made his way slowly to the office, dragging his feet hesitantly and wringing his hands together. “Jus’ ask her, there's nothin’ wrong with askin’,” he told himself, trying to give himself courage. Once he got to the office door, his hand on the door knob, he froze. _What if it's a stupid question?_ He thought, contemplating whether or not this visit was necessary. He always tended to second guess himself, his anxiety getting the best of him. _No, this is somefing you need. Go in there and ask!_ Bracing himself, 2D managed to barge in.

Sam looked up at the sudden entrance, putting her pen down. “2D, what's up?” She asked casually.

2D just stood there across the room awkwardly. “Uh, um, I-I have a…” he stammered.

Sam raised a questioning brow, but it was hidden underneath the large sunglasses she wore. “Why don't you come in and have a seat?” She offered, pointing with her pen to the open seat in front of her desk.

2D felt as nervous as if he was being reprimanded by the school principal in her office. A pretty principle, with big sunglasses on. 2D took a seat, his long legs bent almost up to his chest. “Why do you ‘ave those on?” He asked, motioning to the sunglasses on Sam's face.

“Oh,” Sam realized that she was indeed still wearing said sunglasses. “The fluorescent lighting was giving me a migraine,” was all she said, pushing the glasses up the bridge of her nose. “By the way, you wouldn't happen to have any pain killers on you, would you?” She asked desperately.

“Ah, yeah, I always do,” he said, plunging his hand into his jean’s pocket. He retrieved a small bottle of over the counter ibuprofen and slid the bottle over the desk’s surface.

Sam raised her brows in surprise, fully expecting him to say no. “Oh, thank you,” she said, popping the lid and sliding a pill into the palm of her hand. “So, you always just have a bottle of hydrocodone in your pocket?”

2D shrugged. “Sometimes its oxycodone, or codeine, or morphine…”

Sam popped the cap back onto the bottle and slid it back to 2D. “Right…” She felt wary of giving 2D back the bottle, but she didn't feel like getting into it. “Well, you're a hungover girl’s best friend.”

2D cocked his head to the side. “You're hungova’?”

Sam nodded with a sigh. “I went out last night and it got a little…crazy.”

“It explains the glasses.”

“And my pounding headache. Anyway, are you here to cross examine my hangover symptoms or something else?” She asked, picking up her coffee mug and finishing the last of it.

“Ah, yeah, well, you see…” he stammered again, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Sam noticed the way he nervously bounced his knee up and down and how his eyes wandered everywhere but hers. She could see that he was struggling with something and she sympathized with him. “’D, you don't have to be nervous around me. My job here is to help you out and make your life a bit easier. Know that you can always talk to me, okay?” She tried to keep eye contact with him the whole time and speak softly, as if speaking to a scared dog.

2D’s knee stopped bouncing and he found that he could look Sam in the eyes, or her sunglasses at least, easier. He took a deep breath and finally asked what he's been wanting to ask. “Can you type up a practice schedule for me and print it out? I can neva’ figure out the time I'm supposed to be there and every time I'm late Murdoc yells at me.” He squeaked.

Sam gave 2D a nod, trying not to laugh. “Was that it? Why were you so nervous? Of course I can print a schedule for you. In fact, I can do that now.” Sam pulled her laptop out from one of the drawers and began typing.

2D just blinked, relieved from his growing anxiety. “I dunno, I'm jus’ not used ta’ people being nice ta’ me.”

Sam gave him a sympathetic look. “I'll always be nice to someone as long as they're nice to me. Nice is like my default setting. I'm from the south, after all.” She began typing up a schedule on a spreadsheet. “The only person you'll never see me be nice to is Murdoc, because Murdoc is not a nice person.”

2D nodded in agreement. “You're right ‘bout that. He's a downright nob,” he said, and when he was finished he looked around anxiously to make sure Murdoc wasn't around listening.

Sam laughed at 2D’s reaction. “Don't worry, Murdoc is probably still asleep. He didn't really get much sleep last night.”

2D raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “How d’you know?”

Sam paused from her typing to think up an excuse. “Uh, I got home pretty late last night and I saw that his light was on in his room. I just figured he was in there doing something.”

“Or some _one_ ,” 2D corrected her. “Though I am surprised he was in his room. He's usually in his Winnebago if he's doin’ that. Which is all the time.”

Sam looked up from the laptop screen, now very intrigued. “Why is that?” She asked.

2D shrugged. “He prolly don’ want a bunch of slags in his personal room.”

Sam pressed her lips into a hard line and turned her attention back to the screen, but she didn't continue typing. _Was I the first one to have sex with him in his bedroom?_ She thought. She tried to shake the thought from her mind. _It doesn't matter. It's over with. It doesn't make you special or anything._ “So, let’s say weekly, how many women does Murdoc bring home? Like a guesstimate.”

2D scratched his stubbled chin in thought. “Well, prolly at least…two a day? But sometimes it's more.” 2D watched Sam stiffen up. He had a bad feeling something was up. “Oh no, do you actually like him?”

Sam scoffed. “Me? Like Murdoc? Like, _like_ like? Ha! No way,” she denied, starting to type on her laptop again. She bit her lip, trying to not think about Murdoc and the steamy details of their night.

“Good,” said 2D. “You're too nice for him. He's a bad person, Sam.”

Sam hit the print button and quickly stood from her chair. “I _know_ he's not a good person, 2D, I don't need a lecture,” she snapped. She walked over to the printing machine across the room and picked up the practice schedule for 2D. “Is this all you need?” She asked, sounding a little irritated.

2D slid down in his chair, feeling like a chastised kid. “Y-Yes, thanks,” he said, taking the sheet of paper from Sam’s hand.

Sam sighed, feeling guilty for snapping at him. She leaned against her desk in front of him and took her sunglasses off. “Do you wanna hang out once I get done with work?” She asked. She needed to get out of her head about the whole Murdoc situation, and hanging out with 2D might just do the trick.

2D looked up at her, a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. “Sure! We could watch somefing in the theater, or take a walk in the cemetery, or—”

“How about we just chill in the game room with some beers?” She interrupted before 2D got too ahead of himself. “I saw some pretty awesome video games when I accidentally went in there trying to look for a bathroom.” She needed an activity that engaged her brain. Sitting in a theater watching a movie would allow her mind to wander to Murdoc too easily and taking a walk would only make her think more, even if it was in a cemetery. Playing video games was the perfect thing to keep her mind at bay from thoughts of shacking up with said bassist again.

2D lit up at the thought of playing a zombie video game with someone else. He usually just played by himself because no one else in the house was interested in them. “That sounds awesome!” He said excitedly.

Sam gave him a warm smile. “Okay cool, I’ll meet you in the game room around seven. Bring the drinks,” she said before taking her seat behind her desk again. “Oh, and try not to lose that schedule,” she said before turning her attention back to the files on the desk.

2D nodded and left the room, feeling genuinely excited for that night.

 

 _“Mierda!”_ Sam threw her controller down on the futon she sat on cross-legged. “I died again!”

“You won't respawn ‘till afta’ I've cleared this section of zombies,” 2D explained calmly.

Sam groaned, picking up her can of beer from the floor and taking a swig. “Ah, I think I've had enough of getting my ass handed to me by the undead.”

2D was hardly listening, eyes focused on his mission at hand. “You can't give up yet! We still need to pass the level.”

Sam picked up the controller again. “Yeah but I'm just gonna die again in the next couple of minutes.”

The sound of zombies hissing and gurgling from the huge flat screen TV filled the room from the surround sound. The character in the game shot the last remaining zombie in the head, and as the game turned back to the story from the gameplay, 2D set his controller down. “You're really not good at this, are you?”

Sam couldn't help but laugh. “I was really never a gamer.”

“Then why didya want ta play? We could’a done somefin’ else.” He asked.

Sam shrugged. “I just wanted to do something to keep my mind off of things.” Her eyes wandered to the floor.

2D raised an eyebrow. “Keep your mind off of what?”

Sam bit her lip, trying to come up with something other than what was really on her mind, which was Murdoc. “Um…my friends,” she lied. “I just really miss them.” It wasn't necessarily a lie. She did miss Colin and Laura.

“Oh,” said 2D, looking down at the floor as well. “What are they like?”

Sam smiled, thinking about her two best friends. “Well, there's Laura, who I've been friends with since freshman year of college. She was my roommate when we lived in the dorms. We've been inseparable since. Well, inseparable since I left. And then there's Colin. I met him at a party once sophomore year. He would've been a senior that year if he hadn't dropped out. He tried to pick me up that night, but I was feeling more brotherly vibes for him. I think he's still a little in love with me, but he's my best friend so it'll never happen.”

Sam whipped her cell phone out and scrolled through her pictures until she found the perfect one. It was a picture of Sam and Laura their junior year, sitting on the bar top of McGregor’s Pub wearing the shortest shorts they could find and the smallest crop tops, holding a pint of beer in their hands, and Colin standing between them behind the bar, his arms around their waists, all of them wearing big smiles. “That's them,” she turned her phone around to show him.

2D looked at the photo, feeling a pang of jealousy. “You all look so close,” he said.

Sam reeled her phone back in, looking at the photo with fondness. “Yeah, we are,” but her smile faded. “At least we were.”

“I wish I had that,” 2D said, running a hand through his azure locks.

Sam put her phone down and turned her attention to 2D. “You're close to your band mates, though.”

2D kind of scoffed. “I wouldn't say that. More like…forced to act decent to each otha. ‘Cept Murdoc, he's just shitty to everyone.”

Sam furrowed her brow. It's like she couldn't go an hour without hearing that name around here. “Why is he such an asshole?”

2D shrugged. “Guess he just can't help being a wanker,” he said bitterly.

“I'm sure there's a reason. People aren't just shitty by default,” she said, feeling the need to defend the man for some reason. Maybe because she didn't want the man she slept with and can't get out of her head to be the horrible person she and everyone else thought him to be.

“Not everyone's as nice as you, Sam,” he turned to her and gave her a crooked smile.

Sam couldn't help but snicker. “I can be a _wanker_ at times too,” she said, trying to be modest. “But hey, if you can't find a friend with your band mates you can always find a friend in me.” She reached down and pulled a couple of beer cans from the pack and handed one to her companion.

2D took the beer can from her, noticing the way their fingertips made contact through the transaction. He watched her hand reel away from the can and onto her own, and how she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear before cracking the pop top and taking a long drink from it. He noticed the way her throat moved, the three red roses tattooed there twitching as she gulped the liquid. As he watched her, he felt butterflies starting to form in his stomach. It made him nervous. He hadn't felt like that since he first started seeing Paula, and that didn't turn out so well. But Sam was different than Paula. So much different. Sam was nice, genuine, smart, and pretty as hell. And that's what scared him. She was way out of his league. Why would a woman like her want to hang around a guy like him? But every time their eyes met, she stopped what she was doing and gave him a smile. It gave him hope.

“I like you, 2D,” Sam said.

The comment threw 2D off. He looked down at his beer can, his cheeks starting to grow warm. “Wh-what?” He stammered.

“I like you. You're pretty cool to hang out with. I feel like we could be good friends, even if we weren't in a sort of coworker situation.”

2D’s heart sank. _Good friends_ , she said. He sighed internally. “I like being wif you too,” he said, trying not to sound bummed. “Can I ask you a question?”

Sam nodded. “Go for it.”

“Have you ever…dated a coworker? Just out of curiosity, that is.”

Sam thought about it. She hadn't had too many jobs. She had some unpaid internships and volunteer work under her belt, but not many actual jobs. She shook her head. “I can't say that I have. And honestly, I don't think I ever would. It's a little unprofessional, don't you think?” Sam cringed at her own words. _It’s a little unprofessional to sleep with coworkers too!_ She pushed the thought away and cleared her throat. “Why do you ask?”

2D straightened up, trying to think of a good excuse. “Uh, I was just wonderin’ cause…”

“Oh, I see,” Sam said with a sly grin.

“Y-You do?” 2D stuttered anxiously.

Sam nodded. “Do you like one of the studio staff members?”

2D made a perturbed face. “No, no!”

“It's okay if you do. I mean, I personally don't believe in mixing work with pleasure,” again, she cringed at the lie. “But don't let my own work ethics come between you getting your groove on. Some of the interns are really pretty.”

2D curled his lip up at the thought of going after one of the studio interns. The band thought that hiring unpaid student interns to run errands for them would be cost effective and handy. Of course, Murdoc only chose the good looking females. But none of them were as pretty as Sam, 2D thought, nor as nice. Anytime they were asked to do something, they would complain at first, then take their time doing it. It peeved everyone off, but Murdoc liked having them take his orders.

“So,” Sam interrupted 2D’s thoughts. “You said Murdoc doesn't take girls to his bedroom, right?”

2D hesitated to answer. “Yeah, why do you care?” He asked cautiously.

Sam shrugged, feigning innocence. “I don't know, I just find it weird that someone would have a separate place to take women just to sleep with them. I mean, what would it mean if he actual slept with one of them in his room? That would be, like, more intimate, right?”

2D didn't like where this was going. Sam was showing too much interest in Murdoc for his comfort. Usually when women showed this much interest in Murdoc they fell under his spell, and then once Murdoc was finished with them they were over, leaving the woman in shambles. “I dunno, and I don’ want to know,” he said, finishing his beer and setting it on the floor. “You shouldn't be so interested in Murdoc. Like I said, he's no good.”

“I know, I know,” Sam agreed. “It's just, as my client, I need to know more about him, that's all.” She tried to think of something else other than Murdoc to talk about, but it's like her mouth had a mind of its own. “Has he had any recent girlfriends? I mean, a manager should know these things so that I know how to deal with his public image. Same goes for the rest of you, of course.”

2D sighed, knowing what Sam's true intentions were. So he took the opportunity to slander Murdoc, as if that was hard to do. “Muds don’ have girlfriends, he has one night stands and some regulars. He's incapable of being with anybody for longer than a night.” He smirked, seeing the way Sam’s face fell slightly. “As for the rest of us, I dun’ think Russ is seein’ anyone right now and Noods is too young for a boyfriend. ‘Nd I'm not seeing anyone either,” he made particularly sure to emphasize that last part.

Sam nodded, seeming a little down now since receiving that information. “Thanks for the info…” she said, trailing off. She finished her beer and stood, collecting her empty cans in her arms. “I'm gonna head to bed now, I think. I've had kind of a long day…” she said tiredly.

2D stood too, taking up his cans as well. “I can take those for ya if ya want,” he said, motioning to the trash she held.

Nodding, Sam handed over the cans and smiled graciously. “Thanks, 'D. I appreciate you hanging out with me even though I suck at video games.”

2D grinned crookedly back. “No problem, it was fun.” Without warning, Sam threw her arms around 2D’s neck, standing on the tips of her toes, and gave him a squeeze. At first, he just blinked in surprise, then finally realizing what was happening, he leaned into the hug more.

Stepping back, Sam gave him a wave. “I'll see you tomorrow, 'D. Goodnight," and with that, Sam left the room, closing the door behind her.

With a sigh of content and arms full of empty beer cans, 2D felt warm and fuzzy inside. This time he didn't even have to take pain killers.


	7. Part 1- Ch 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam runs into Murdoc and takes the opportunity to confront him- and things don't go that smoothly. Sam swears off of him and goes the extra mile to spite him at work. On a coffee break, she meets Russel where he tells her he heard everything from her and Murdoc's fight. He advises her to stay away from Murdoc, which then incites Sam to question why everyone must warn her against him. Maybe she's the one that needs a warning label.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I forgot to update on time. In my defense, I was super busy. But does anyone really care? Oh well, enjoy this new chapter.

Sam was about to unlock her bedroom door when she heard footsteps coming her way from down the hall. She looked up, seeing the man that had been on her mind the whole day walking towards her, hands in his leather jacket’s pockets, his black fringe sweeping over his eyes mysteriously. Sam's stomach fluttered as soon as she saw him. _Damn him, he looks so good,_ she thought.

Sam watched him walk towards her, waiting for him to acknowledge her in any way, a cat call or something, but he silently retreated to his door just a few feet away from her’s. She frowned, watching him take his door key out of his pocket and stick it into the lock. _Is he really just going to ignore me?_ She thought, leaning on the door frame. “Ahem!” She cleared her throat.

He turned to her, finally acknowledging her presence. “Oh hey, Sammy,” he said in a chipper tone. “Guess I didn't see you there, heh-heh.”

Sam furrowed her brow. “Are you kidding me? You looked right at me from down the hall. What the hell is your deal?”

Murdoc stepped towards her, forgetting the key in the door handle. “I thought a gal like _you_ didn't want anythin’ to do with a guy like _me,_ ” he growled, using her own words against her.

Sam scoffed, rolling her eyes in disbelief. “Well it's a little too late for that, don't you think?”

“You're one o’ those birds that can't make up their mind, aren't you?” He said, stopping and standing directly in front of her, looking down at her. “Tough luck, toots, cause ol’ Murdoc can't be bothered with that rubbish.”

Sam raised a brow at him questioningly. “What are you talking about?” She crossed her arms in front of her, glaring up at him. Then a thought crossed her mind. She remembered that morning, just up and leaving so abruptly, without even a glance back. She sighed in realization. “Murdoc, is this about this morning?”

He didn't respond, he simply crossed his arms in front of him and looked away from her, mouth set into a hard line.

Sam rolled her eyes at his temper tantrum. “Oh come on, Muds, you can't be serious.” She waited for his response, but she was left in silence. “You're _actually_ upset that I left you this morning?”

After a long pause, Murdoc finally glared at Sam and responded. “Yes,” was all he said.

Sam groaned, not believing that that was the cause of his shortness with her. “You know, I never really pegged you as a ‘wake up after a one night stand and cuddle’ type of guy. I was only trying to get out of your hair, and honestly,” she paused taking a big inhale. “Honestly, I felt a little ashamed.”

“Murdoc Niccals does _not_ cuddle!” He said defensively. “I just wanted to be the one to leave first.”

Sam gawked at him in surprise. “Oh my god, _that’s_ the reason you're mad at me? Because you feel insecure about being left by a woman?” She let out a bitter laugh. “And for a minute there I thought it was something _I_ did! Good to know it's just your fragile masculinity that's really hurt!”

There was silence between them, Sam silently fuming and Murdoc standing there like a school boy getting yelled at by the teacher. “Well,” Murdoc finally spoke up after a few more seconds. “I forgive you.”

“You _what?!”_ Sam exclaimed, bewildered. “There's absolutely nothing to forgive me for because I didn't do anything, you prick!”

“Look, we got two options here, you can keep yelling at me while I pretend to listen, or we can just have angry sex and then forgive each otha’ in the end. What'll it be?”

Sam was about to open her mouth to ask what the hell was wrong with him, but a thought popped into her mind. _What are you doing? Why are you wasting your breath on him? He obviously doesn't care about any of this, so why should you?_ She let out a sigh, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. _Just forget about it._ She ran her fingers through her bangs, pushing them up and then letting them fall back into place again. “Yeah alright fine,” she said with a shrug.

Murdoc's brows went up in shock. “Really?”

“There's really no point in this,” Sam said. “Why waste my time and breath trying to lecture you on something you're not going to even listen to?” She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Murdoc's neck. “I'd rather waste my energy on something with a better pay off.”

Resting his hands on her hips, Murdoc smirked victoriously. “So, you ova’ the whole ‘no sleeping with clients’ thing, eh?”

Sam shrugged again. “I mean, we already broke the seal, and there's nothing that's gonna put it back together again.”

“I like your thinking,” Murdoc said before diving into the crook of her neck.

Sam gasped, feeling his teeth graze her skin and nip at the soft flesh there. “Jeez, Muds, can you at least wait until we're somewhere private?” She managed to say.

Without saying a word, Murdoc turned the knob of Sam’s bedroom door behind them, picked Sam up with one arm, and carried her inside her own room. The door slammed shut behind them, the two stumbling back, glued to one another by the mouth. As they kissed and nipped each other's lips, their hands went to the other’s clothes. Murdoc was able to slip Sam’s tight camisole off of her in one swoop, and Sam deftly unzipped his leather jacket and slipped it off his shoulders. When the jacket fell off of him, Sam got a clear view of his neck, along with the mouth sized bruises that were not there last time she saw him.

Sam furrowed her brow as she glared at the spots on his neck. “What the hell are those?” She demanded.

Murdoc's hand immediately flew to the side of his neck, cupping the marks with his palm. “What are what?” He feigned ignorance.

She slapped his hand away and took a closer look at his neck. “Are those hickeys?”

Murdoc lifted her chin so that she could meet his gaze. “Yeah, luv, that was _your_ doing, rememba’?” His voice went up at the end, signaling to Sam that he was lying.

Sam narrowed her eyes at him. “I did _not_ leave you hickeys, Murdoc. In fact, I made very sure that I didn't because I didn't want the others getting suspicious. Where did they come from?”

“I-uh, well, ya’ see…” he stammered, trying to come up with a good excuse. “I was gettin’ my blood purified with leeches at the docta’…”

Sam let out an abrupt chortle. “Do you really think I'm gonna fall for that?” She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her, bringing the material to her nose and taking a whiff. Just as she suspected—his shirt smelled exactly like cheap cotton candy scented perfume. She made a noise of disgust, pushing him away from her. “You bastard!”

“What?!” He exclaimed, standing there dumbfounded as she leaned down to pick up his jacket off the floor. “D’ya really expect me to not shag anyone else but you? A wee conceited, aren't we?”

Sam wrung the leather material in her hands, but in her mind she pretended it was Murdoc's hickey covered neck. “No, you asshole! You can stick it in any hole you want, but don't try to stick it in _my_ hole minutes after you finished a different one!” She flung the jacket at his head, but to her dismay he was able to catch it in time.

“Well, for fuck’s sake, Sam, why didn't ya run me by your bloody rules beforehand?!”

“I thought it was a given!” She stepped past him and threw her door open. “Get the fuck out of my room!”

“My fuckin’ pleasure, ya crazy tart!” He snapped at her, stomping out of the room without a backwards glance.

“I hope you really savored the first time we slept together, because it was the last!” She yelled after him before slamming and locking her door. She stood there, a heated mess with no shirt on, glaring at the door, internally cursing Murdoc.

~~~

The next day, Sam was in her office, humming to herself gleefully. The tax folder was set to the side and closed for the first time since she started her job. Ever since Murdoc pissed her off the night before, she decided to spite him in every way possible. The first step in doing so was hiring a professional accountant. She found the best one she could find and bribed her to keep her mouth shut about all the fraud. As she sat there, typing away at her laptop and making up schedules for the band, she thought of even more ways she could spite him.

After finishing the last of the schedules, Sam decided to reward herself for working so hard. She picked up her coffee mug and went down to the kitchen for a midday second cup of coffee. Upon entering, she noticed Russell standing at the stove, pan frying what seemed to look like a whole eel.

She curled her lip up in disgust at the sight of the dead eel as it cooked. “Please tell me we're not having that for dinner,” she pleaded.

Russell turned at the sound of her voice and gave a disgruntled look. “Fuck no, this is my lunch. I ain't sharing my eel with none of y'all,” he said in his gruff voice.

Sam clutched her heart and feigned offense. “But I _love_ eel,” she said dramatically. Russell just stared back at her, unamused. Sam put her hand on her hip and knit her brows together. “What has you so cranky?”

Russell turned back to his cooking. “ _Some_ people kept me up with their arguing in the room above me.”

Sam raised a brow. “Okay? So why have an attitude with me?” She went to the coffee pot in the corner of the kitchen and turned it on. As she scooped coffee grounds into the liner, she froze, gasping when she realized who he was referring to. She whirled around to face him. “What did you hear?” She demanded, her cheeks glowing red.

Russell let out a hefty chuckle. “Enough to know you've been doing the ol’ dirty with Muds.”

Sam slapped her palm to her forehead. “God dammit! I didn't want anyone to know,” she groaned.

“With the way you guys are always yelling at each other, I would've thought you wanted the whole damn world to know,” Russell said, flipping his eel over. “Meanwhile I'm lying in bed trying to read my damn novels over the sound of a Latina woman cussing someone out in Spanish.”

Sam’s whole face was bright red at that moment. “I'm so sorry Russ, I didn't know you lived right under me. I'll try to be quieter.” She sighed, turning back to the coffee maker. “Although, I don't think Murdoc and I will have anymore personal interactions after last night.”

“So I heard,” he grumbled. “It's for the best. All of Murdoc’s relationships turn ugly eventually.”

“You know,” Sam began. “Everyone keeps warning me about him. What if he's the one that needs to be warned about me?”

Russell stifled a laugh, but as soon as he saw the look on her face he shut right up. “I guess we just don't know you well enough to make that assumption. We've all been living with Muds for a few years now; we know what he's like with the ladies. We all like you so we don't wanna see you end up like the rest of ‘em.”

Sam stirred milk into her coffee and watched as the light swirled into the blackness. _I’m the lightness and he's the dark,_ she thought, swirling the liquid thoroughly and absentmindedly. _Except we're not like this coffee. We don't mix well._ She breathed a sigh and set the spoon down in the sink. “I guess everyone is right. I need to focus on work anyway. You guys will be recording soon and I'm going to be busy contacting all the people y'all are collaborating with.” She turned to leave but stopped in her tracks and turned to Russell again. “Thanks for the talk, big guy.”

“Anytime, shawty,” he replied with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, another short chapter, but later chapters will have more bulk! Just be patient!


	8. Part 1- Ch 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam starts the day off fabulously. It's been a month since she's been working as manager, and she's accomplished more than she thought she would. Feeling satisfied with her work, she takes off for the day, but to her dismay, she finds Murdoc escorting a strange woman into his room. Later, Sam and the band go out to a bar to celebrate Sam's one month of working. There, the band gets to know Sam a bit more, until she excuses herself to go on a date with the guy she has went out with before. In a jealous and vindictive tirade, Murdoc tells everyone that he and Sam slept together, much to 2D's horror and Noodle's annoyance. After Sam's date, Noodle has a talk with her, where she advises to stay away from Murdoc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW I AM A PIECE OF SHIT THAT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP AN UPDATE SCHEDULE!!

A month.

A month since Sam applied for a job as a band manager.

A month since Sam accepted the job as a band manager.

A month since Sam moved away from the country. Away from her friends and family.

A month since moving into the mysterious building on top of a hill surrounded by a cemetery.

A month since meeting the man that has driven Sam completely mad.

Sam flipped the page of the calendar on her desk to reveal the new month. She sighed, leaning her cheek on her open palm as she leaned against her desk. Sam had been so busy and stressed out at work that she had neglected to contact her friends since the first day she arrived at Kong. She pulled out her flip phone and skimmed through her contacts until she found Laura’s number. She was about to click the call button, but the work phone started ringing instead. She quickly set her cell phone down and answered the other phone.

“Kong Studios, this is Samantha, how can I help you?” She said into the phone in her most polite voice.

“Hello, this is De La Soul’s manager. I'm just calling to confirm the dates that my clients will be working with yours in the studio,” the male voice said on the other line.

Sam lit up. She had been waiting to hear from De La Soul’s manager for a couple of weeks now. When 2D expressed the want for them to appear on the next album, Sam made haste to contact their manager and schedule a time to meet in the studio and start arranging music together. Things like this was what being a band manager was all about, and Sam was starting to finally feel like the real deal.

“Let's see,” Sam broke out the band’s schedule calendar and circled a few dates that were open. “The week of the fifteenth would be ideal.”

There was a pause, certainly the man was checking their schedule as well. “Ah, that sounds perfect. When should my clients arrive?”

“Eight A.M. would be best. There will be other artists in the studio as well, so the earlier they start the more time my clients will have to work with everyone,” replied Sam.

There was another pause, Sam could hear the distinct sound of a keyboard being typed on. “Sounds perfect. My clients look forward to working with yours.”

“And the Gorillaz look forward to working with them,” a smile spread across her face. As she placed the phone back onto the receiver, she did a little happy dance in her chair as it spun around. She closed the deal with De La Soul, and they would be working with Gorillaz on the new album.

Sam pushed herself up from her chair and gathered her cell phone and coffee mug from the desk. Walking out of the office, Sam couldn't help but smile. It had been a good day. She woke up before her alarm feeling refreshed, did some yoga, ate a breakfast that wasn't just an apple and coffee, emailed a couple of other musician’s managers to negotiate a collaboration, made a doctor’s appointment for 2D to switch pain medication, called a groundskeeper to clean up the cemetery, and finally closed the deal on De La Soul. Sam felt like walking on air.

Stepping out of the elevator, she made her way to her bedroom, but as she got closer she saw Murdoc at his own bedroom door, except he was not alone. There standing next to him was a short blonde woman with way too much makeup on and clothes too revealing to not be just lingerie. The woman was looking up at him like he was a piece of meat and she was a lioness. As soon as he would open the door, she'd pounce on him. She leaned against his side, stroking his bicep.

Sam stopped in her tracks, not daring to go any closer. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him unlock his door and open it, cooing to the floozy draped over him.

“If ya think the sheets in the Winnie are soft, wait till ya get a load of these,” he said with a snicker.

“Oh Mudsy, you really know how to treat a lady,” she woman said, batting her fake eyelashes.

Sam scoffed. “ _Oh Mudsy,”_ she mocked the girl in a high pitched voice quietly to herself.

“Anythin’ to make the ladies feel special,” Murdoc said, turning his head to look straight at Sam. Underneath his black fringe, he gave her a playful wink, then retreated into the room with his guest.

Sam’s hands balled into fists. _Special my ass!_ She screamed internally. Stomping into her own room, she slammed the door in a jealous rage. “Ugh!” She exclaimed, flopping face first onto her bed. She pounded the mattress with her fists and kicked as she let out a scream into the comforter. She suddenly looked up, an idea popping into her head. “If he wants to play dirty, so be it.” She scooped up her cell phone next to her and started texting.

That night, Sam met the others at a pub to celebrate Sam’s first month of employment.

“How did Noodle manage to get in here?” Sam asked, taking a swig of her tall glass of Guinness.

“We're rockstars, luv, we can do any damn thing we please,” Murdoc said with a cocky smirk.

“Still, I don't think a bar is the best place for a teenage girl,” Sam glanced across the round booth they sat at at the young girl. Noodle sat with her long thin legs up to her chest as she fiddled away at her Game Boy, a glass of water sitting on the table top in front of her. “She should be at a house party with friends drinking jungle juice out of a Dixie cup like a normal fourteen year old.”

All the adults at the table nodded fondly at their own memories of adolescent partying and drinking.

“Well, she's not a normal fourteen year old,” Murdoc said, interrupting their reminiscent thoughts. “She's an arse-kicking, guitar-shredding fourteen year old in a world renowned rock band. Since when did ya become her mum?”

Sam scoffed in response. “I'm her manager and I'm only looking out for her best interest. Besides, I'm sure she could use a motherly presence around here. She's surrounded by a bunch of grown ass men twenty-four seven, for god’s sake.”

Murdoc glanced at Russell to back him up, but all he did was shrug in response. “She's got a point, Muds.”

“I wasn't askin’ for your opinion!” Murdoc said defensively.

“You two should go do somefing girly once in a while,” 2D spoke up.

“You know, that's not such a bad idea. I could use some girl time,” chirped Sam. “What do you say, Noods? Wanna go get our nails done this week? Or maybe get our hair blown out, or get a spray tan?”

Noodle finally looked up from her game and curled her upper lip up. “Eh, no thank you,” she said, then turned her attention back to her game.

Sam’s mouth hung open in shock after Noodle’s rejection. “You don't want to hang out, Noodle?”

Noodle shrugged. “Maybe go to music shop? Need new guitar strings.”

Murdoc burst into laughter, seeing that his point had been made for him.

Sam glared at Murdoc next to her, restraining herself from smacking the smug right off of his face. She turned back to Noodle and smiled at her. “We can do whatever you want. Just quality girl time you and me.”

Noodle nodded, eyes still glued to her game’s screen.

“So, Sam, since we're celebrating you tonight, you should tell us more about yourself,” Russell said, steering the conversation away from the seemingly moody teenage girl sitting next to him. “The most I know about you is the many different volunteer jobs you had in college.”

“What, my resume wasn't enough for you?” She asked with a chuckle.

“Ah, yes, regale us in a tale of the shootouts you've had in the saloons with Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa,” Murdoc said into his glass of whisky with an arrogant smirk on his face. Sam balled her hand into a fist and flew it into Murdoc’s bicep. He recoiled and rubbed the tender spot with his other hand. “Bloody yankee!” He exclaimed in pain.

“ _Pendejo_!” Sam replied, giving him an icy look. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and cleared her throat. “Anywa _y_ , what do you want to know?”

Russell shrugged. “Anything you feel like we should know. Just some fun Sam facts.”

Sam took a moment to think. “Well, I was born and raised in Texas—”

“Hah! So you _are_ a hillbilly,” Murdoc interrupted.

Sam threw him a dirty look but continued on. “I got my first tattoo when I was sixteen. This is my first time being out of Texas, let alone the country. I love to bake. My parents died my freshman year of college…” Sam trailed off, slowly taking a drink of her beer. “Well, that one wasn't such a fun fact…”

2D placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “”M sorry, Sam,” he said in a soft, squeaky voice.

“I didn’t mean to bring up any painful memories,” Russell said, giving her a look of pity.

They all looked at her with pity, except Murdoc who just frowned at his glass of whisky.

Sam scoffed and let out a nervous laugh. “Oh my gosh, guys, there’s really nothing to be sorry about. I’m _fine_. Really. I mean, the accident was six years ago. I can talk about it and move on,” she said, forcing a smile on her face even though all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear. Desperately hoping for a conversation change, her cell phone rang out, signaling a text message.

Sam reached into her purse and dug her cell phone out, flipping it open to read the message. A real smile lit her face as she read. “This evening has been _lovely,_ but I have to get going,” she said in a hurry, downing the last of her pint.

“Where’re you heading off to so early?” Murdoc demanded.

Sam flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned to give him a smug look. “I have a date.”

A sneer appeared on Murdoc’s face. “When in the bloody hell d’you have time to find a date?”

“That’s none of your business,” Sam said, slipping out of the booth, all while eyeing Murdoc. “ _But_ , if you must know, it’s the same guy as before. He figured since we were both totally wasted that night, we said and did some things we didn’t really mean, so he contacted me saying he wanted to get to know me better.” Sam watched the look on Murdoc’s face turn from a dubious sneer to a look of contempt. “Oh, and can you believe his name is actually Aaron? Man, was I off!”

Murdoc jeered and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but I’m not gonna be there when ya come crawling to my room trying ta make me jealous again.”

“I was not trying to make you jealous!” Sam exclaimed, her voice going an octave higher than normal. She folded her arms in front of her chest. “You don’t have to worry about that. So don’t wait up.” She flipped her hair once again and made her way away from the group.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, toots!” Murdoc called after her, but it was too late, Sam was already out the door and into the dusky air. He mumbled angrily under his breath, something about a “wanker” and a “sleazy tart”.

“Muds, what was that all about?” 2D asked timidly.

“That bird’s loony, that’s what that was,” Murdoc said grumpily into his drink.

“No, I mean when you said that Sam visited your room,” 2D bit his lip, anxiously waiting for Murdoc’s response.

Murdoc mulled over telling his band mates what happened between him and Sam. There was the con—Sam would probably beat him to a pulp if she found out that he had told them. Then there was the pro—by the anxious look of dread on 2D’s face, it seemed like he was a bit _too_ curious by what transpired during Sam’s visit to Murdoc’s room, and if that meant what Murdoc thought it meant, 2D could really be crushed by the news. And that’s what made up Murdoc’s mind.

Murdoc grinned slyly and eyed 2D in the corner of his eye. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know?”

2D wrung his hands together nervously. “I-I’m jest curious s’all.”

“ _Sure_ you are,” Murdoc replied deviously. “I guess curiosity got the best of ya when you were staring at her bum while she slid past ya to get outta tha booth too, eh?”

2D’s eye’s grew wide at Murdoc’s accusation and he made haste to defend himself. “I wos not! I-I…” he stammered and trailed off, trying to find a fitting excuse.

“C’mon, 2-Dents, you can admit it, ya fancy her, don’t you?” Murdoc elbowed 2D hard in the ribs, making him double over in pain.

“I mean…she’s…quite lovely, idn’t she?” 2D finally confessed.

“Yeah, she’s real fit,” Murdoc licked his lips in a devilish manner. “That’s why I shagged her.” He drew a cigarette from his box of Lucky Lungs and popped it into his mouth.

2D’s mouth dropped open as Russell did a spit take, his jack and coke spraying all over Noodle who sat next to him. She slowly turned her head and gave him a piercing look, curling her lip up and giving him a growl. Russell held his hands up in surrender and smiled innocently. “Oops, sorry Noods,” he said, slowly inching away from the girl.

“You did not _shag_ her, you liar!” 2D exclaimed, jabbing a finger into Murdoc bony chest. “Ya know, jest ‘cos you can’t get _one_ girl doesn’t mean you can go an’ spread nasty rumors ‘bout her!”

Murdoc lit his cigarette and took a drag, puffing smoke into the air above him. “’s not a rumor,” he said with a smirk. “Yep, that bird just couldn’t keep her hands off ol’ Mudsy, heh-heh.”

“You’re a lying bastard!” 2D said, fuming at Murdoc.

Russell cringed at 2D. “Sorry to say this D, but Muds is telling the truth,” he confessed, remembering sitting in his bed that night and trying to muffle out the sound of moaning with his pillow over his head. “I heard…everything.”

Murdoc sputtered, launching himself into a fit of laughter. “You heard _everything!”_ He cackled, holding his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. “Sorry ‘bout that, Russ, but she’s a loud one!”

2D’s face fell into his hands, feeling defeated. Of course Murdoc would sleep with the one woman he felt like he could have a connection with. And, once Murdoc was done with Sam, she’d probably leave them. 2D groaned in pain, a headache starting to set in.

Noodle, who couldn’t help but listen to what conversation was being had at the table, grit her teeth as Murdoc cackled away. She set down her video game and picked up her glass of water. Standing from the booth, she flung the water at Murdoc, shutting him up.

Murdoc stared in shock at Noodle, gaping at her. “What the bloody hell was that for?!” He exclaimed, looking down at his now soaked shirt.

“You’re an ass!” Noodle yelled at him. She set the glass down and firmly put her hands on her hips. “You ruin everything!” She snatched up her video game and ran out of the pub.

While Murdoc was busy wringing out his shirt, Russell slid out of the booth to follow Noodle to make sure she was okay, leaving 2D with his worst enemy.

“Noods must be on her period, or something. Fuckin’ hell,” Murdoc muttered, using a napkin to wipe his face dry.

2D lifted his face from his hands to glare at Murdoc. “Serves you right,” he said. “You _do_ ruin everything.” With that, 2D followed Russell and Noodle out of the pub, leaving a damp Murdoc to drink alone.

Later that night, Sam creeped back into the mansion, heels in her hands as to not make a sound. The place was huge and no one would probably hear her anyway, but just in case anyone was still wandering the halls, she’d rather not get caught. She made her way to the elevator and waited for it to reach the first floor. She tapped her foot on the linoleum floor while she waited.

“Ahem,” a voice behind her cleared their throat.

Sam just about jumped out of her skin. Her heart pounded as she turned to see who the person behind her was. She was relieved to see Noodle there, clad in pajamas and a scowl on her face. “Oh, Christ, Noodle! You scared the ever-living shit out of me. What are you doing out here so late? It’s past midnight.” She flipped her phone open to check the time to make sure she was right. Yep, a quarter after twelve.

“Need to talk,” Noodle said expressionless. The elevator opened and she walked in, Sam trailing after her.

“Sure, we can talk. Wanna go to your room so you can go to bed afterwards?” Sam asked. When she got a nod from Noodle, she pressed the button for the floor Noodle’s room was.

When they arrived at Noodle’s room, she unlocked the door and they walked in. Sam’s eyes wandered around the room. It was heavily Japanese inspired. _And huge,_ Sam thought. _Can’t forget huge._

Noodle plopped onto the bed and patted the spot next to her as an invitation to Sam. Sam sat next to her, crossing her legs while Noodle got comfy in her own bed.

“Okay,” said Sam, smoothing out the covers of the bed. “What do you need to talk about?”

“Murdoc,” Noodle said in a very serious tone. “He’s no good.”

Sam’s brows raised. “I can completely agree with that,” she said wearily. “But why are you telling me this?”

Noodle gave Sam a knowing look. A _I-know-you-slept-with-him_ knowing look. When it clicked in Sam’s head, she groaned and cursed to herself. “That man has the biggest mouth. Big enough to eat a _knuckle sandwich_.” She punched her hand while gritting her teeth. Somehow she knew that word would get out. Murdoc seemed like the guy to kiss and tell. And they did a lot more than kissing.

Sam gave Noodle an apologetic look. “Look, if I could, I’d go back in time and stop myself from doing it. But I can’t, and it’s a thing that I regret. It was unprofessional of me. I hope that you’ll still respect me as a co-worker and as a fellow woman.”

Noodle scrunched up her mouth to the side, as if contemplating Sam’s words. “I still respect you,” she finally said after awhile. “We just don’t want you to quit.”

Sam pushed Noodle’s hair from her eyes, but the fringe just settled back into place. “Noodle, I’m not going anywhere. I consider this place my home, and I love my job with you guys. Nothing is going to change that, not even some nasty old green guy.” She gave Noodle a reassuring smile.

Settling under the covers more, Noodle pulled the blankets up to her chin and smiled happily, trusting Sam’s words. “Good,” was all she said. She turned her back to her, ready for sleep.

Sam chuckled at the young girl, patted her shoulder, and told her goodnight. She made her way out the door, shutting the light off before exiting. Sam never had a sister, but she imagined it would be a lot like her and Noodle’s relationship.


	9. Part 1- Ch 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam throws a studio Halloween party and enlists the help of 2D. She finds the party a perfect excuse to spend a little more time with her boyfriend, but it seems like he has other plans. Sam, feeling too emotional to go back to the party, is invited to get wasted with Murdoc in his room, where they get to know each other better, and Sam has an epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW OKAY SO I MEANT TO POST THIS LAST WEEK BUT I ACCIDENTALLY FORGOT AND LEFT IT IN MY DRAFTS! Well, since I forgot to update last week (SORRY) I guess this will be the chapter for this week. Please enjoy!

Days turned into weeks turned into months. Five months, to be exact. Five months, and the band was really in the thick of it. Recording, practice, and editing was really getting the best of everyone. Noodle was getting behind on her school work, Russell was stress eating, 2D upped his dosage of whatever concoction of pain-killers his doctor prescribed him, Sam's relationship with her boyfriend was straining, and Murdoc was becoming increasingly more irritable each day—mainly due to the fact that he didn't have any time to pick up any new women.

Sam was checking the band's schedule to make sure they were keeping on track when she noticed that a day off was nearing. Her mood immediately lifted and began thinking of ways to spend her free day. _Aaron and I can finally go out for a date night! It’s been so long since we’ve done something romantic together._ She checked her phone, hoping for a text from him. Nothing.

She sighed, putting her phone away and tapped her pen against the desk’s surface. She scanned the calendar again. Her interest peeked once again when she realized Halloween was merely a week away. “Hmm,” she pondered. _Spending a boring romantic evening with Aaron, or boosting morale around here_ and _spending time with Aaron all while getting wasted?_ And with that, it was settled.

 Sam got to work quickly trying to arrange a studio Halloween party, making flyers and emailing them throughout the staff and band members. Once that was done, she started work on a grocery list of party foods and decorations. It would definitely cost more than any college Halloween party Sam has ever been to, but she didn’t want to skimp out on a rockstar party. But then she wondered if all of this was good enough. She decided she couldn’t do all of this alone. So, she decided to employ one of the biggest fans of horror she knows.

“2D!” Sam called through the intercom in her office. She could see him in the little monitor screen she used for security. He was in the kitchen, staring blankly into the refrigerator.

As soon as 2D heard Sam’s voice overhead, he snapped out of his reverie and nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Come to my office please,” Sam ordered as soon as she had his attention. When he gave a thumbs up to the camera, she shut off the intercom and awaited his arrival.

A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said.

2D poked his head in, then slid the rest of his body through the crack. “W-wot?” He asked hesitantly, thinking that he might be scolded for something.

“Just have a seat please,” Sam told him, still typing something on her computer.

2D did as he was told, sitting in the chair across from Sam, his long legs almost reaching his chest. He watched her type, her full lips slightly mouthing the words as she went. He bit his lip, wondering what it would feel like to have her lips in his.

The sudden last _click_ of the _enter_ key snapped him out of his daydreaming. Sam turned to him finally, giving him a warm smile. “2D, I need you.”

2D’s heart quickened. _N-Need me?!_ He thought, panic stricken. His eyes wandered again to her plump lips, pink and shiny with lipgloss. He wondered what it tasted like. “W-Wot?” Was all he could utter.

“I need you to help me put together a Halloween party. I know you love horror and stuff so I thought you’d be a good assistant for picking out spooky decorations.” Sam cocked her brow when she saw the deflated look on his face. “Was I wrong to assume you’d help me? Sorry, I know you guys are really busy with everything, but I just thought you could help me out a little bit—”

“No! It’s not that! I can definitely help!” 2D interrupted, trying to not sound too desperate in the process.

“Great!” Sam grinned ear to ear and clapped her hands together. “We can go to that Halloween store across town.  I really want to get one of those creepy animatronics. Oooh, and a fog machine!” She started writing ideas down on her notepad. “We can go as soon as I get off work. Is that okay?”

2D nodded excitedly. He never got to go out and about in the town, and now he got to go with someone he really liked. He watched as Sam wrote some more ideas on her notepad. Without thinking, he asked, “How are you an’ your boyfriend?” When she looked up at him questioningly, he bit his lip, feeling embarrassed for asking.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Aaron? Um, we’re fine, I guess,” she lied, trying to sound nonchalant. Truth was, their relationship had been rocky for a couple of months. For the five months they’ve been together, they didn’t really have time to themselves. Work was always getting in the way for both of them. They fought more and more. But Sam hoped that this party would bring them closer together. They were finally off of work on the same day and they were going to cherish it.

“Ah, that’s good…” 2D muttered with a bittersweet smile. He was happy to see Sam happy, and especially happy because she wasn’t hanging around with Murdoc too often. But that still didn’t stop Murdoc from shamelessly flirting with her in front of 2D just to spite him.

“Okay, well, that’s all. Thank you,” Sam said, waving him off. She went back to typing away on her keyboard.

Later that afternoon, Sam and 2D went into town to get the supplies for the party. Their first stop was the Halloween shop. When they walked in, an undead pirate animatronic lunged at them with bright red light eyes. “ARGH! Give me your booty!” It shouted at them.

“But it’s my best asset!” Sam said, giving 2D a wink and chuckling.

2D laughed along with her, letting her walk ahead of him inside, his eyes wandering to said asset.

They checked out the various different decorations and many large animatronics. Sam browsed in the home décor section, where they had blood splattered plastic plates and cutlery along with wine glasses with zombie hands for stems. She picked one up to examine, unaware of the zombie approaching her from the back.

“Uuuuuuugggggghhhhh,” 2D moaned in his squeaky voice, arms stretched out to grab Sam’s shoulders.

Sam immediately spun around and let out a startled squeak. Once she found that she wasn’t in actual danger and that the masked zombie was 2D, she playfully slapped his chest and chuckled. “You scared me, dude!” She lifted the mask up to reveal 2D’s snickering face.

“You shoulda seen your face,” said 2D, giving her a cheeky smile.

“You know, you should totally get that mask. You’d be the scariest one at the party.”

2D took the mask off his head and examined it more. “You fink so? What’re you gonna be?”

Sam thought as she tossed some blood splattered napkins into the basket. “I was thinking probably Morticia Addams. We both have long black hair and wicked curves.”

“You’d look great as her.”

“Right? And Aaron would be a cute Gomez, too,” Sam said in a dreamy tone.

2D frowned a bit, clutching his mask in his hands. “Oh, you’re inviting him?”

“Of course. I mean, it is a staff party, but anyone can bring a date.” Sam shot 2D a glance. “So, you gonna bring a lucky lady or what?”

2D chucked the mask into the basket and picked up a zombie baby decoration. “Nah, I’m not really lookin’ for a relationship.”

“Oh,” Sam stopped behind him with the basket in tow. “Well, there’s no shame in going stag to the party. Besides, I’m sure there will be plenty of single staff members at the party if you change your mind,” she ended her sentence with a wink.

Looking at the zombie baby in his hand, she couldn’t help but snicker. “That thing looks like Murdoc as an infant.”

The baby had sickly green skin, black stringy hair, and beady red eyes. 2D looked down at the baby in his hands. “Nah, this baby looks cuter than ‘im.”

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

The two of them browsed the shop more, throwing more things in the basket along the way. While in line for the checkout, Sam turned to 2D and said, "Thanks for coming with me. You know, you're the person I click the most with out of everyone."

2D felt a fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Yeah, same here," was all he could say out of nervousness.

"You're just so easy to talk to and get along with. Noodle is too young to really hang out with, Murdoc is _actually_ insane and gross, and Russell...well, Russell seems like he's trying to sort through his own demons."

"Not really demons, more like ghosts," 2D said, Del coming to his mind.

"Whatever it is, he's going through some things. You're the only one I can see myself really getting close to," she looked up at him and gave a friendly smile. "You're, like, my best friend here."

2D's stomach dropped at the sound of "best friend". "Yeah, you're my best friend too," he said, trying to play it cool. As all of their items were being scanned, he watched Sam meticulously watch everything ring up. _Maybe best friend idn't so bad,_ he thought, trying to make the better out of the situation. _I can be there for her when she needs me. Maybe there could be somefing more..._ With that in mind, 2D felt his mood brighten a little more. The two walked out with their riches of Halloween décor that filled the Geep's backseat to the brim.

A week passed with perfect planning from Sam, and before she knew it the party day had arrived. The studio was decked out in cobwebs, candelabras, dim lighting, and all the other decorations Sam and 2D managed to bring in. A snarling zombie animatronic greeted everyone at the front door while the cemetery gate held in the real zombies trying to escape. Sam had been running around trying to perfect everything and making sure the caterers had all the food nice and spooky themed. By the time she finally got into her costume, guests had already arrived.

Sam quickly made her way into the studio, where a group of guests were mingling and munching on treats. Her face lit up when she saw everyone enjoying themselves. Everything seemed perfect, she was only missing one thing. _Where the hell is Aaron?_ She whipped her phone out and started texting her boyfriend. So caught up in her text, she failed to notice the caped vampire sneaking up on her.

A hand placed itself on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "'Ello, love."

Sam jumped back at the warm breath in her ear and squealed. She spun around and saw Murdoc standing there, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He chuckled when he saw the angry look on her face. Unamused, Sam slapped his arm in defense. "Fuck you, Murdoc, you scared me!"

"It's Halloween, love, you're supposed ta' be scared!" He chuckled even more. "Oh, and what the bloody hell are you supposed to be, heh? Some sort of sexy witch or something?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "No, I'm Morticia Addams! If Aaron would hurry his ass up my costume would make more sense…” she trailed off, checking her phone again.

“That wanker still not here yet?” Murdoc said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. He never liked Sam’s boyfriend. Mainly because he seemed to cause her more grief than happiness most of the time. He could always hear her arguing with him on the phone in her room. _It’s probably for the best,_ he thought, wickedly hoping that their relationship was at an end.

Sam stalked off out of the studio and into the hallway. The chatter and music were muffled and echoed through the hallways. Sam put the phone up to her ear, listening to it ring.

When it finally connected, Aaron answered, “Hello?”

“Where the hell are you?” Sam questioned with a tinge of annoyance. “You’re thirty minutes late.”

There was a pause, then a long drawn out sigh. “Listen Sam, we need to talk.”

“Well, get over here and we can.” Sam had a grave feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt nauseous.

“I’m not coming,” he replied. “I think we both know that. I don’t think we should do this anymore.” When Aaron didn’t get a response from her, he continued. “I’m sorry, Sam. It’s for the best.”

Without a word, Sam ended the call. She grabbed the railing of the staircase next to her and lowered herself to sit on the steps. She put her face in her hands and started to cry.

2D was having fun in the studio, going up to different people and scaring them with his mask on. For the past ten minutes he tried to look for Sam, but when he couldn’t he walked up to Russell and slipped the mask off. “Hey Russ, you seen Sam?”

Russell shrugged and pointed to the door. “She left out into the hall but I haven’t seen her come back in.”

2D nodded and went into the hall. He could faintly hear the sound of someone sniffling and followed it to the nearest stairwell. There he found Sam, sitting on the steps, sobbing into her hands. He quickly went to her, sitting on the steps and putting an arm around her.

Sam felt 2D’s arm wrap around her shoulders and quickly tried to stop crying. She wiped the tears from her cheeks but they still left mascara stains. She looked up at 2D weakly. “Why aren’t you inside enjoying the party?”

“I can’t enjoy anyfing if I know you’re out here cryin’. What’s wrong?”

“I just…” She trailed off, feeling more tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“Aaron broke up with me,” Sam confessed suddenly, a new wave of tears bubbling to the surface. “I was here waiting for him thinking everything was fine, and he was there thinking of ways to break it to me. I am _such_ an idiot.” She let her head fall on 2D’s shoulder.

2D caressed her arm as she leaned on him. He wasn’t very good at helping people through break-ups, but he wanted to be there for Sam. “Sounds like he’s a right bloody wanker,” he said with disdain. “He didn’t know what he had, an’ he’s gonna wish he neva let you go.”

Sam’s sniffling died down a bit as she listened to him. “Thanks, ‘D,” she said, voice strained from crying.

The two were so preoccupied with each other they didn’t notice Murdoc walk up to them. “What the hell are you two doin’ out here?” He questioned.

2D and Sam looked up at him suspiciously. “What are _you_ doin’ out here?” Sam said back to him.

Murdoc hid the bottle of tequila he had in his hand under his vampire cloak. He opened his mouth to defend himself but noticed Sam’s eyes were all red and puffy. His defense suddenly turned to concern. “Were you crying?”

Sam tried to wipe her cheeks dry but it only smudged the damp mascara around. “No,” she lied.

Murdoc stepped closer to them and looked 2D dead in the eyes. “Leave, Two Dents,” he ordered.

2D looked up at him frightfully then at Sam, silently wondering if she’ll be okay. Sam nodded and said, “I’m okay, ‘D. Go ahead and enjoy the party.” She gave him a bittersweet smile and patted him on the shoulder.

2D gave her a friendly squeeze around the shoulders and took his leave. Murdoc replaced him on steps alongside Sam.

“What’s got you all mopey?” He asked.

Sam hesitated to answer, knowing Murdoc would only gloat. She looked down at her lap, avoiding his gaze. “Aaron…broke up with me…” she said in a low voice, hoping he wouldn’t hear her.

But he did hear her. His first instinct was to laugh and tell her that he saw that coming from a mile away, but his cold black heart weakened at the sight of her sadness. “Well,” he said. “That sucks.”

Sam was surprised to hear that. She turned her gaze to him with a lifted brow. She expected some cocky remark about how she should’ve left Aaron for him a long time ago, but his empathy left her speechless. “Uh…yeah, it does,” was all she could say.

“If you want him gone, I know some people,” he said, his face turning wicked. “Just say the word, love.”

Sam couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, thank you. I don’t want anything to do with him. And I suppose this is somewhat my fault too. I mean, I knew we weren’t going to be together forever, I just didn’t expect the end to be this soon.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t say it’s the end. More like…the beginning of somethin’ new.”

Sam was a bit taken back by Murdoc’s wisdom. She expected him to tell her that in order to get over someone is to get under someone, more specifically _him_. But he didn’t, and Sam was grateful that he was mature enough to sense that the situation was too sensitive. It made her somewhat attracted to him more. She quickly shook that thought out of her mind. Instead, she turned her attention to the bottle shape underneath Murdoc’s cape.

“What do you have there?” She asked, pointing to the lump.

Murdoc had almost forgotten the bottle of booze he was trying to sneak into the party. He lifted it out from under the cape and held it out. “The party seemed a little too mild, so I thought I could spice it up a bit, heh-heh,” he said with a chuckle and a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

Sam’s lips spread into a grin at the sight of the clear liquor in the bottle. “Top shelf. Very nice.”

“Of course, what do you take me for? Some drunkard who’ll drink any swill?” He stood with the bottle in his hand and held out his other one for her. “Come on, then. Let’s get this party started.”

Sam cringed, taking his hand and pulling herself up. “I don’t think I can go back in there. I look like a mess.” She wiped under her eyes to try to rid herself of the dried up mascara.

“Who said anything ‘bout going back to that snooze-fest? We’re taking this party to my room,” he said, jostling the tequila around, the liquid inside making splashing sounds.

Sam crinkled her nose at the offer. “I just get broken up with and you’re inviting me to your room to get drunk? I knew this was too good to be true.”

“Don’t be so vain, Yankee, it doesn’t look good on ya,” he retorted. “I’m not tryna shag ya, I’m just trying ta get drunk off my arse. So are ya comin’ or not?”

Sam’s cheeks lit up in embarrassment. She turned towards the direction of the party, hearing the music and sound of laughter echoing through the hall. Biting her lip, she turned to Murdoc again and snatched the bottle from his hand. She quickly unscrewed the cap and took a swig from it. The liquid burned on the way down and she cringed at the harshness of the liquor. “Try to touch me _once_ and you won’t be able to use that hand for a long time.” She started up the stairs, Murdoc chuckling and following behind.

The two made their way into Murdoc’s room, eager to begin drinking their worries away. Sam slipped out of her stilettos to get more comfortable, although she was kicking herself for not changing into something more comfortable before following Murdoc into his room. The skin tight black dress she wore in order to look more like Morticia hugged her every curve, and also restricted her movement. She took a seat on the black velvet chaise at the end of the bed and took in her surroundings. The first and last time she was in this room she didn’t get a chance to look around. The walls were painted with black and red stripes. The bed was all black including the frame, with high bed posts and silk sheets that looked and felt so enticing. A black bookshelf stood against the wall with many different books and skulls of different sizes and species. An older looking bass guitar hung on a wall mount in the corner with a moderate sized amp sitting beneath it. On the ceiling hung a large black metal chandelier.

Altogether Sam was impressed by the décor of the room. Compared to hers, it was like a castle. Much bigger too. She felt slightly gipped with her plain cracked walls and cement floors. She had done what she could to make it feel more homey, but string lights and fluffy rugs could only do so much. _We only live down the hall from each other, how could our rooms be so vastly different in size?_ She wondered.

Murdoc took his cape off and flung it over one of the bed posts. He took a swig of the tequila and watched Sam as she admired his room. He couldn’t help but smirk at the wonderment on her face. He figured she hadn’t noticed the place the first time, considering as soon as she got a hold of her wits she bounded for the door without a backward glance.

While she was preoccupied his eyes roamed her figure. He noticed the hip-hugging dress as soon as she entered the party earlier, and the way the neckline plunged into her cleavage tightened his pants the second he saw her. Especially now, the way she leaned forward in the chair admiring the décor gave Murdoc a lovely view from where he was standing. And the way her hair cascaded down to her waist, framing her face perfectly, along with the way she pinned her full bangs back to reveal her full face, gave a new perspective to her beauty. In fact, Murdoc had never seen her face without her bangs, which were always sitting above her eyes.

He snapped out of his lustful stare and stepped into her line of vision, holding out the bottle. “Here, ‘s your turn,” he said.

Sam gave a weak smile and took it. She slowly held the bottle to her lips and drank from it, grimacing afterward. “God, that never gets easy, does it?” She said, a light laughter following.

Murdoc sat on the floor in front of her, giving her her space. “Eh, ya get used to it after awhile.” He noticed the confused look on Sam’s face when she watched him sit on the floor and not next to her. He figured it would be for the best not sitting next to her. He knew as well as anyone how he got when he was drunk, and with Sam in his room sitting next to him like that would only lead to something that Sam would end up regretting. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood for sloppy seconds. He had been the rebound for many chicks, but he refused to be that to Sam. It was different somehow.

Sam noticed Murdoc shifting his eyes uncomfortably, trying not to stare at her. And the way he sat across from her instead of next to her— she quickly caught on to his dilemma. “Maybe I should change into something else…” she said, standing to leave.

“No,” Murdoc said, maybe a bit too quickly. _If she leaves, she might come to her senses and not come back. Then I’ll just be here alone in my room drinking. Usually that’s fine, but not when there’s a bloody party goin’ on downstairs!_ _I’ll look like a complete loser._ “I mean…just grab a shirt of mine from the closet. Should fit a bit longer on ya’.”

Sam hesitated, crossing her arms in front of her chest. _What game is he trying to play? First he actually tries to comfort me, then he invites me to his room to get drunk, and now he wants me to wear one of his shirts? Does he realize how suspicious he’s being?_ She eyed him as he snatched the bottle of liquor sitting on the chair next to her and drank, paying her no mind at all. _Or…maybe he’s not being a total creep for the first time ever?_

Without a word, Sam walked over to the closet doors and flung it open. The closet was huge, but it was filled with the same things. Just black pants, black shirts, and black boots. She easily found a shirt to wear, so she pulled it off the hanger and closed the closet doors behind her, making sure there was no way Murdoc was able to spy on her. Ridding herself of the dress, she slipped the shirt over her head and let the fabric drape over her. It was a little tight around her chest, but it fell looser in the torso and covered all the important parts, so she felt satisfied.

She stepped out of the closet, Murdoc turning his head to see her. The shirt fit her like a loose dress. _Too bad the neck is so high. Should’a gave her a v-neck,_ he mused, snickering to himself.

“Well?” Sam asked, although she did wonder why she wanted his opinion. _Well, I did just get broken up with. Of course I would want to feel wanted after that._ She watched his eyes skim her up and down briefly before looking away to drink.

“S’alright,” he said, taking a quick mental picture of her for later. “That ex of yours is a fucking moron,” he murmured into the bottle.

Sam blushed despite herself. She shuffled over to where Murdoc sat and took a seat on the floor across from him, making sure to cross her legs in a discreet manner. She felt odd looking down at him while she sat on the chair. She would much rather be eye level to the person she was talking to.

She took the bottle away from Murdoc. “So, how are things going for you?”

“Oh, ya’ know, the usual,” he replied, rubbing the nape of his neck. “Practice and stuff.”

Sam nodded in understanding. “Picked up any girls worthy of mention?”

Murdoc furrowed his brow and gave her a curious look. “Why the bloody hell do you care?”

Sam shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, just trying to make conversation. There’s really not much I know about you other than your love of sleeping with random women and that you play bass.”

Murdoc scoffed at her assumptions. “I have other interests other than those two things!” His voice went up in defense. “What? Do you ride around on a horse wearin’ a sombrero and eating tacos?”

“Those are stereotypes, you ass,” Sam retorted. “And who doesn’t eat tacos? They’re delicious. Well, not here…the tacos here are terrible.” She crosses her arms and glared at him. “Besides, how am I supposed to know? You’re not exactly an open book.”

“What do you mean? You’ve neva’ even asked me about anythin’!” Murdoc shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the floor. “Ever since you and that bloke have been dating you’ve spent your time locked up in your office or glued to your phone talkin’ ta him. It’s like none of the rest of us even existed, so how would you know anythin’ ‘bout me?”

Sam’s eyes shifted to the floor, ashamed. She knew she hadn’t spent that much time with anyone in the last few months, but she thought it best to keep her personal life separate from work. But ever since she went shopping with 2D and now hanging out with Murdoc, she figured maybe being friends with them wasn’t such a bad idea.

“You’re right,” she confessed, running her hand through her hair. “I have been a little…reserved lately. I tried to put a wall up between me and you guys to keep things professional, but I think in order for me to be the best at my job I need to get closer to everyone.” She looked up at Murdoc with a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “With that being said, tell me more about you, Murdoc.”

Murdoc curled his lip up in distaste. “I didn’t know you _actually_ wanted to talk about that shite…” he said, trying to think of a way to get out of it. “Uh…why don’t you start first? I mean, I can’t just talk about me without knowing about you too.”

Sam knew Murdoc was just trying to get out of talking about himself. She understood, though. Talking about herself made her feel awkward and she was never sure what was important enough to disclose. So, she started with something easy. Something that never failed to start a conversation.

 “I got my first tattoo when I was sixteen,” she said, looking down at her forearm and running her thumb over the faded black-lined feather. “My cousin gave it to me. We were at a family party and he was drunk and I asked him to give me one since he had been doing it for awhile. Despite being drunk he did a pretty damn good job. But, man, when my mom found out, she was furious.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of her mom— pencil thin eyebrows furrowed and plump lined lips set into a scowl. She lifted her arm for Murdoc to see. “It was like a snowball that eventually turned into an avalanche. It’s like I became addicted to them.”

“They suit ya,” Murdoc said, eyes skimming over her revealed skin to marvel at the art displayed there.

She went on to tell about certain ones with specials backstories, like the spider on her thigh, the moon phases on her chest, the stars on her knees, and the eight-ball on her hand.

After the stories, Murdoc was burning to know the story behind the tattoo that always stuck out to him. The one that could almost always be seen no matter what she wore. “What ‘bout that one? It’s quite large. Bet it hurt like a bitch,” he said, pointing to his own neck for reference.

Sam grazed her fingertips on the skin of her throat. She could feel the raised scarring in some places where the artist had pressed too hard. The three vibrantly red roses were always the first thing people noticed about her, and the most asked about. A vague smile spread across her face in fondness.

“It _did_ hurt like a bitch,” she said, a laugh following after. “But it was well worth it. I got it when I was twenty. My name, Delarosa, means ‘of the rose’, and the three of them represent my parents and me. My mom hated my tattoos, it wasn’t ‘ladylike’, but I think she would’ve loved this one.” She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of her parents. She missed them dearly every single day.

Murdoc shifted where he was, feeling uncomfortable. He was never one to talk about feelings or be open with anyone so intimately. So, instead of saying anything he just silently drank the last of the bottle.

Sam saw the way he shifted uncomfortably and moved his gaze from her to the floor. That’s how most people reacted when she talked about her parents, either that or pity. She preferred the former. For Murdoc’s sake, she perked up, cleared her throat, and said, “Anyway, enough about me. It’s your turn.”

Murdoc rolled his eyes and groaned, not feeling up to the task of being sociable. He was, however, just drunk enough to talk about things he normally wouldn’t when sober. “What is there ta know?”

Sam shrugged. “I dunno…. You know about my parents, what about yours? You must’ve been a handful to raise as a kid. I assume you got into a lot of trouble, had a bunch of girlfriends.” She giggled at the thought of a child Murdoc flirting with all of the girls in class.

Murdoc leaned back onto his elbows, getting more comfortable as his vision started to go a bit fuzzy from the alcohol. “ _Parents?_ Pha, I was a bastard with a drunkard of a father with a heavy hand and a merciless sense of authority. I was bullied in school, neva’ given a chance by teachers, and girls neva’ so much as threw me a glance. The second I got a chance to get far away from my father I took it. Made a deal with the devil, and now I’m here,” he slurred, stretching his arms out to the side, presenting himself.

Sam frowned at the story he told her. Now it all made sense to her. Murdoc never had anyone to confide in, never felt safe, and was never shown an ounce of kindness. _No wonder he’s such a miser all the time. His dad was an abusive asshole. The fact that he never had a mother figure explains why he’s so debauched, too._ She looked at him now in a new light. He wasn’t just a sex-crazed narcissist with no boundaries, incapable of having lasting human relationships. _He was just a broken boy that grew to be a crooked man,_ she thought, her gaze softening upon him.

“I’m sorry, Murdoc,” said Sam, inching closer to him. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh, sod off.” Murdoc waved her away, feeling embarrassed for confiding in her and in return receiving the thing he loathed the most—pity. “You wanted ta know what made me so _me_. You wanted to play therapist, ta pry into my head and find what makes me tick. Well, now ya know!” He turned to look at her, only to find a look of concern staring back at him. “Would ya stop lookin’ at me like that! With your wrinkled forehead, and your…your soft eyes…and pretty face….” He trailed off, noticing Sam’s face growing closer to his.

Her soft, full lips barely grazed his, hesitating there. Sam could hear her heartbeat in her ears as it thudded against her ribcage quickly. She squeezed her eyes shut, contemplating.

Murdoc waited there, unmoving, for her to do something. But when she didn’t, he couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. “What? Realized that the only reason you’re attracted to me is because I’m so screwed up?”

“No,” Sam said, her breath sweet and Tequila flavored on his mouth. “I realized that…” she paused, wondering if it was better left unsaid. She drew away from him, sitting back on her heels. “Never mind.” She stood and gathered her dress in her arms.

Murdoc was perplexed. He stood up with her, albeit a little less gracefully, watching her gather herself. “What are ya doing? Did ya forget you were in the middle of somethin’?” His pants were beginning to feel a bit tight from her closeness, but now he was just left with blue balls and crushed hopes.

“I just…I have to leave,” Sam said, flushed and disoriented. She stumbled to the door before turning and saying, “Thank you, Murdoc, for everything.” She quickly slid out the door before Murdoc could protest and convince her to stay the night. She bounded down the hall to her room, throwing open the door and slipping into her sanctuary.

Dropping the costume dress to the floor, her feet made swift work to the bed, where she threw herself facedown. She laid there for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts and emotions, until she finally picked her head up for air. Her brows knitted together in thought. “What is wrong with me?” she said aloud to herself, worrying on her bottom lip. “I can’t be feeling this way. Aaron and I just broke up, I _can’t_ be feeling this way, not with Murdoc!” She flipped over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She clutched his shirt that she still wore, feeling it against her bare skin underneath. “And yet, all I want to do is feel this way towards him.”

It might have been the alcohol getting to her, but she felt her body ache for Murdoc. In that moment, all she wanted to do was run back to his room and let him ravage her like the first time. But she still maintained some self-control. She knew that if she let him have her, their relationship wouldn’t be anything but that. No, she needed more than that. She saw Murdoc for who he really was, and there was no going back from that. She couldn’t deny it anymore. She felt something for him, something other than feral, sexual attraction.

Groaning and closing her eyes, she whispered, “I fucking _like_ Murdoc.” She clutched her pillow tight and cursed herself for being so foolish. Before she fell asleep, 2D’s words circled in her mind: “Muds don’ have girlfriends, he has one night stands and some regulars.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for taking the time to read! If you feel some type of way about things going on in the story, you should let me know with a comment! I'd love to hear for you!


	10. Part 1- Ch 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam tries to come to terms with her new found feelings for Murdoc, which means avoiding him when possible and trying not to embarrass herself. She ends up turning to her best friend for advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a piece of shit who hasn't posted in awhile!! Please enjoy this new chapter!!

The next day felt like hell on earth for everyone in Kong Studios. All the band members (except Noodle) and the staff suffered from terrible hangovers. The party had lasted well into the wee hours of morning, only leaving all of them a couple hours of sleep. And to their misfortune, it was recording day.

2D sat in a chair behind the control panel, popping pain killers for his enormous migraine. Russel laid on the couch, still half passed out. Murdoc sat in a chair with his bass sitting between his legs, taking breaks from tuning it to guzzle down a Bloody Mary he made himself that morning. Noodle was the only chipper one, ready and waiting to record her part of the track, sitting on the floor and practicing on an unplugged guitar. Because she was still so young, she was tucked away and ready for bed by eleven while the adults still partied it up. She grinned to herself when she saw how zombie-like her band mates looked that morning.

Sam was no exception. She woke up far too early, reaching for the small trash pail next to her bed. She leaned over and expelled the alcohol from her body, and after doing this a couple of more times, it was finally time for her to start getting ready for work. Groggily, she rolled out of bed and tried to freshen herself up with a shower. After that, she made sure to liven up her face with makeup. Just because she felt like death, doesn't mean she had to look like it. She then made sure to have a nice breakfast to soak up what was left of the alcohol in her system along with a big glass of Emergen-C. After all of this, she was starting to feel like a normal functioning human being again. Her hangover routine was practically perfect, except for the fact that it made her late for work.

She quickly made her way to the studio, clipboard in hand where she could write down all of her notes and things that she needed to do. Stepping into the room, the first thing she noticed was how dim the lights were. "What's going on?" She asked, turning the knob to a brighter setting. All of the adults in the room hissed at the brightness of the fluorescent lighting. Sam cringed at the chorus and brought the lighting back down to where it was originally. "Sorry!"

Sam immediately took a seat next to 2D where he sat in front of the control panel. Though Sam always thought he looked very zombie-like in appearance, that morning it was like he was truly undead. "Jeez, how long did that party last?" she asked him.

2D jumped at the sound of Sam's voice next to him. He hadn't even noticed her presence in the room. He groaned and stretched his arms out to the sides. "'Till four AM, I fink," he muttered before yawning. He turned to look at her, curious to see what she looked like after a night like that one. To his shock, she looked perfect. Her dark eyes were clear and sparkling, skin was smooth, hair was shiny and in place, and even her demeanor was slightly chipper. It was like she had a full night's rest without a hangover in sight. He opened his mouth to ask how she did it, but she interrupted.

"How are you feeling? You don't look too great," said Sam worriedly. "Did you have breakfast? Are you drinking enough water?" She leaned in to touch up his messy hair, trying to flatten some bits that stuck out every which way.

2D's stomach filled with butterflies at the attention Sam gave him. He couldn't help but smile when she fiddled with his hair. "I mean...I don' really feel too bad. I took some pills for the migraine, but that's about it."

Sam clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "You need a good breakfast to cure your hangover. She looked around the room and saw Russel draped over the couch in an almost catatonic state. Noodle, of course, was fine since Sam had ordered her to be in bed by eleven. She noticed an unattended Bloody Mary halfway finished sitting by itself.  She furrowed her brows in a questioning way. "Whose drink is that?"

2D turned to look at what she was talking about. "Oh, that's Murdoc's. He always makes those when he's feelin' hungova. He's in the booth righ' now."

Sam turned her attention forward. Behind the glass in the recording room, Murdoc sat on a chair, irritably fiddling with his bass. Her heart jumpstarted, making her breath hitch at the sight of him. It was like she was seeing him for the first time, but in a new perspective. Instead of the disgust and questioning attraction that she had felt when they first met, she saw him as the broken and tortured soul with a troubled past he revealed to her just that night.

Murdoc looked up, tired of messing with the strings, and locked eyes with her. His dark eyes bore into her and a rising smirk formed on his face. Sam felt her cheeks burning and quickly look away, trying to calm her racing heart.

“So,” she said, standing and holding her clipboard against her chest. “I will tell the interns to order you guys some breakfast. Oh, and 2D I’ll bring you some Emergen-C for your hangover.” She looked over at Russel, who seemed to be having a hard time with his hangover as well. “Better make that two.” She spun around to catch a glimpse of Murdoc one more time before leaving, but his back was towards her as he bent over a trash can, heaving into it. She sighed, shaking her head. “Three it is.”

As soon as Sam left the room, the door to the recording room opened and Murdoc stepped out, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Ugh," he groaned, cringing from the taste of bile in his mouth. He went straight for his Bloody Mary to wash out the bitter taste, gulping it down. After that, he looked around the room in confusion. "Where's Sam? Wasn't she just here?"

2D swiveled in the chair to face Murdoc. "You jest missed her."

"Ah, too bad. Needed ta ask her somethin'."

2D gave Murdoc a quizzical and wary look. "Ask her what?"

Murdoc finished the last of his drink and slammed the glass down, making 2D almost leap out of his chair is fright, Murdoc chuckling in response. "None of your fucking business, two-dents," he growled.

2D wrung his hands in apprehension, wanting to ask another question but too afraid to say. "W-What did you two do last night...?" He asked despite his nervousness.

Rolling his eyes at his bandmate's curiosity, Murdoc said, "Why the bloody hell do you want to know?"

2D looked everywhere except for Murdoc in apprehension. "I-I was jest wonderin'...."

Murdoc eyed 2D with a devilish grin. He knew exactly why he was so curious. He wanted to know if they hooked up. A malicious temptation arose in him to tell 2D that they did, and then make up a bunch of steamy details just to get under his skin. But something inside him stopped that temptation dead in its tracks. Some might call it a conscience, and it was quite worrisome to him that, of all the times, it decided to start working. He groaned inwardly, deciding to tell the truth in spite of what his naturally evil nature told him to do. Because, to his dismay, he knew that Sam would appreciate it.

"We just got drunk and talked," he said very apathetically. "It was the tamest night I've eva' had with a woman in my room."

Taken aback, a tiny smile started to form on 2D's face. Nothing had happened between Sam and Murdoc that night, and that was enough to calm his anxieties over it. He turned back to the control panel, rubbing the smooth surface of a switch as his mind wandered to pleasant thoughts of Sam.

~~~

After ordering an intern to deliver breakfast up to the band in the studio, she skulked off to her office to retrieve the extra packs of Emergen-C from her desk. Whilst in the safety of her own office, she collapsed into her chair, closing her eyes. While she was feeling a lot better than when she first woke up, she still wasn't feeling completely one-hundred percent.

She thought back to when she made eye contact with Murdoc in the studio just a few minutes ago. The way her body reacted worried her. She couldn't always feel so nervous and excited every time she saw him because she would be putting herself through that all the time. She tried to remember what she did when she had crushes before. _Well,_ she thought. _Usually I would either make it blatantly clear that I like them, or I would totally avoid them. The former usually worked because they always liked me back, and the latter is not an option for me seeing as we work and live together_. _But I doubt Murdoc would like me back. He just wants me because I'm some sort of sexual conquest for him._ "Ugh," she groaned in disgust. _What a pig._ She stopped herself for a second before adding, a _nd yet I like him._

She pulled herself away from her inner monologue to prepare the drinks for the men waiting back in the studio. She took her time, knowing that she would have to face Murdoc no matter what. The thought of having to look him in the eyes and talk to him made her stomach churn with anxiety. _Or maybe that's the hangover_ , she thought, making her way to the studio.

As soon as Sam walked into the studio, she could feel that the mood of the room changed from lethargic and sick to more energetic but still uneasy; it was a start. Everyone had food in front of them from a local fast food place and was chomping down. _Today's work is never going to start, is it?_ She thought, setting three water bottles down onto the coffee table in the middle of the room along with the three packets of powdered vitamin-C.

"Good to see ya'll finally looking a little better," she said aloud to everyone, looking pleased. She started pouring the powder in each water bottle and shaking them one by one to make sure it all dissolved properly. "Now, I want ya'll to drink all of this. It'll make you feel a lot better and will get you ready for the long day ahead of us." She started handing them out—first the Russel who took it wordlessly due to the giant burger stuffed in his mouth but nodded thankfully, then to 2D who took it gently and let out a shy "Fanks" and a smile, then Murdoc.

As soon as she approached him, she tried not to look at him straight on. She found that looking just past him helped with her nerves, as well as not saying a word to him. Sam held out the bottle silently. Murdoc stood in front of her and, instead of taking the bottle, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her closer to him. So close that she could feel his hot breath on her skin. To her misfortune, her cheeks lit up bright red.

“What the hell was your problem last night?” He asked, his gruff voice lowered as to not let the others hear.

Sam’s brain felt like it was short circuiting. A part of her was trying to come up with something to say in defense of her actions, the other part of her was excited by how close they were in that moment. “Uhhh,” was all her brain managed to come up with.

Murdoc cocked a brow at her in confusion. “What the hell is wrong with ya?”

Sam ultimately snapped out of her brain fog and managed to compose herself a little. “S-Sorry, I kind of just…had to take care of something last night.” She tugged on the collar of her t-shirt uncomfortably, letting out an audibly nervous chuckle.

Murdoc knew she was hiding something. She was acting all nervous around him, when just earlier when he saw her in the studio talking with 2D she seemed just fine. The Sam before last night was confident and sure in everything she did, and when she talked to Murdoc there was an air of disgust in her words towards him. Now it was very different. She fidgeted under his gaze, twirling a lock of hair and looking everywhere but his eyes. She was short with him and stammered. Her face flushed pink. It was like watching a school girl around her crush.

Murdoc let her go, taking the bottle from her hand. “Thanks,” he said before sitting back down.

Sam turned away from him, taking deep breaths and quick steps away. She took a seat in a chair on the far side of the room, focusing on her schedule in front of her on her clipboard rather than the man that caused her brain to frazzle.

2D had watched the whole altercation. He did find it strange that Sam was acting so unlike herself. Maybe something between them _did_ happen and Murdoc was just hiding it from him. No, that didn’t make sense either. Murdoc would take any chance to rub it in his face if they slept together. So, what _did_ happen?

~~~

That night, Sam shuffled her feet to her room. She collapsed on her bed, feeling absolutely exhausted. The recording session had lasted for nine hours. She didn’t have to stay for the whole session, but she wanted to make sure everything was done on time.

During recording, Sam tried her best to keep her mind focused on work— on the details of finances, important due dates, and keeping on schedule. This helped keep her thoughts from wandering to Murdoc, but he was persistent in trying to get her attention, much to her dismay.

After trying to get an answer from her, Murdoc decided to take matters into his own hands. At any moment he wasn’t busy, he would try to get her attention. At first it was simply just walking past her for no reason, getting her to look up at him even for a second. Then he pulled up a chair and sat next to her, which would elicit a glance. Then he would start asking questions: “Did that sound alright to you?”, “That sounds like rubbish, yeah?”, “What d’ya think?”

But Sam was hardly paying attention to the sound of the recordings. She was scribbling on her notepad a boring to-do list, trying to keep her mind off of him.

When Murdoc noticed nothing was working, he moved on to outright flirting and catcalls. _This’ll get her back to normal_ , he thought. _She’ll be yellin’ at me and gettin’ all mad as usual._

He leaned in close to her and said in a low voice, “That’s a nice skirt you’re wearin’, Sammy. Would look better ‘round your ankles, though.” He finished off with his signature creepy chuckle.

But she didn’t yell. Didn’t call him a pig, didn’t threaten to sue for sexual harassment. No, to his utter shock she bit her bottom lip, trying to suppress a smile and letting a giggle or two escape. She crossed her legs and looked at him from underneath her dark eyelashes before spinning her chair away from him. And that’s where she remained for the rest of the session.

Now in her room, Sam felt oddly guilty for ignoring Murdoc all day. But she didn’t know what to do. This situation was foreign to her. Usually all she had to do was put in a little flirting and a guy would be worshipping her at her feet. Murdoc, however, was not like regular guys, and that made Sam nervous.

Sam fiddled with her phone in her hands. There wasn’t anyone she could talk to around her about her dilemma. She flipped open her phone and searched for a contact. Laura’s name highlighted in her phone as she hovered over it. She hesitated, though. It had been months since she last talked to her best friend. How was she going to explain herself? Would Laura even want to talk to her? Were they still best friends?

 _Only one way to find out,_ she though as she pressed the _call_ button. It rang for a few seconds, leaving Sam to bite her lip in anticipation.

_“Hello?”_

“Oh my god, Laura!” Sam breathed in relief.

 _“Sam? Oh my god, Sam, how are you?”_ Laura asked, surprised to finally hear from her friend.

“Jesus, Laura, I’m so sorry it’s been so long. It’s just been crazy over here,” Sam apologized, feeling like a shitty friend.

_“Don’t worry about it! I know your job is super stressful. What’s going on? Is there going to be an album dropping soon?”_

Sam laughed apprehensively. “I’m actually not allowed to tell you that. It would be a breech in my contract….”

 _“Oh...”_ Laura paused disappointedly. _“Well, other than that how are things over there?”_

“It’s good,” Sam said, trying to find a way to ease into the conversation. “Work is hectic, but you know me, nothing is too stressful that I can’t handle. But there is one thing that I kinda need your advice on…”

 _“Shoot_.”

“Well,” Sam began. “It’s…boy troubles…”

There was a pause on Laura’s side, doors opening and closing. Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. “Laura?”

 _“NOW WE’RE TALKING!”_ Laura exclaimed into the phone, startling Sam. “ _Sorry for the long pause. I was hanging out with Colin and had to step away.”_

Sam was even more perplexed now. “Colin? He was there and he didn’t even say hi?”

_“He was too focused on his college application.”_

“College?! He’s going back?”

_“Yeah, but that’s not what we’re talking about! Spill the beans, girl, who’s the guy?”_

Sam sighed, remembering why she called in the first place. “Ugh, Laura it’s like I’m in a nightmare. I swore to myself I wasn’t going to get involved with a band member.”

_“Oh, em, gee, is it the cute singer you told me about?”_

“2D? No, no, he’s, like, my best friend here.”

Laura scoffed on the other end, signaling her evident disapproval of the words “best friend”.

“He’s my best friend _here_ , Laura. You’re my best friend of _all time,”_ Sam corrected herself.

_“That’s better. So if it’s not him, who is it?”_

Sam flipped onto her stomach, wrapping a piece of hair around her finger, prepared to talk about Murdoc in great detail. “Okay, so he’s the bass player—”

 _“Ooh, bassists are hot,”_ Laura interrupted.

“You think anyone in a band is hot.”

_“Very true. Continue.”_

“Anyway,” Sam continued. “His name is Murdoc. He’s, like, not your conventional kind of hot, but super sexy in his own kind of way, you know?”

 _“That’s the best kind of sexy,”_ Laura purred, trying to imagine said person. _“Describe him. Mama needs the details!”_

Sam let out a girlish giggle, feeling like a high schooler talking about boys with her bestie at a slumber party. “He’s kinda tall, but not _that_ tall. He has black hair, kind of like the Beatles but he definitely pulls it off. He has these dark, mysterious eyes that follow your every move, like he’s undressing you with them.”

 _“Lord have mercy, he sounds so hot,_ ” Laura interjected.

“Right?! And get this— he’s a Satanist!”

 _“Wow, that’s, like, the baddest of bad boys._ _Sam, you gotta hit that.”_

Sam grimaced at Laura’s remark. “Yeah, see that’s the thing…I already did.”

Suddenly Sam heard a muffled scream from Laura’s end. _“Samantha Maria Delarosa, you dirty girl! How was it and when did it happen? How could you not tell me?!”_

“I’m sorry, but when it happened I felt so embarrassed! It happened a few months ago. And let me tell you, Laura, it was the _best_ sex I’ve probably ever had.” Sam felt a little excited just from thinking about it. 

Laura let out an excited squeal. _“Then what’s the problem here? It sounds like you have the opposite of boy troubles!”_

“Well, the sex isn’t the problem now. I…” Sam felt nervous about saying the words out loud to someone. It’s like it cemented her feelings, but in reality she didn’t know how she felt. She felt confusion, excitement, lust, and embarrassment all at the same time. “I mean, it was purely physical before when we first had sex, but now…now I think I actually _like_ him.”

Laura cringed and clicked her tongue at her friend. _“You caught feelings, that’s no good.”_

“I know! But My boyfriend had just broken up with me, Murdoc was there for me, I was emotional, we were talking and it just happened.”

 _“Hmm,”_ Laura paused. _“I’m going to ignore the fact that you’ve been dating someone and didn’t tell me and get straight to my golden advice. It sounds to be that maybe because you were feeling vulnerable and alone, you caught feelings because he was the only other guy around to make you feel better. Look, just take some time for yourself, and if you still feel something for him maybe you should pursue it at that point. Just don’t put your eggs all in one basket if you don’t even know if you like this basket for the right reasons.”_

Sam nodded, taking Laura’s advice to heart and focusing on her words. “You’re right. I just need to take care of myself right now.” She took a moment to come to grips with her new resolution, but a new thought bubbled up into her mind. “But what if we have sex again?”

 _“Oh my god, Samantha, do not have sex with him!”_ Laura exclaimed. _“Wow, that’s the first time I’ve ever said that.”_

Sam bit her lip, thinking of all the times Murdoc had looked at her, ogling her body. All the times he had made passes at her, which she thought were sleazy at the time, but now made her blush with excitement. All these things he did on a regular basis every time she was around. Before she would either ignore him with a sneer or tell him to buzz off. Now, she wasn’t sure how she would react. Would she let him tempt her? Would she have the strength to reject his advances?

“Okay, okay! I won’t have sex with him. But it’s going to be really hard; he can be very persistent.”

Another voice could be heard in the background of Laura’s end of the call. _“Oh, I have to go, Sam. Colin and I are going to watch a movie. Keep me updated, I am begging you! I miss you like crazy and now I’m investing in your love life!”_

“Alright, tell Colin I said hi.”

_“Will do! Talk to you later!”_

Before Sam could add anything else, the call ended and she was left in the silence of her room. She dropped her phone on the bed and wrapped her arms around her pillow, feeling homesick now on top of everything. A sudden pang of loneliness washed over her, and all she wanted to do was run over to Murdoc’s room next door and spend the night with him.

 _No,_ she thought, palming her forehead to get the idea out of her mind. _Laura is right, I need to purge myself of him and everyone else. No dating, no one night stands; I just need to focus on myself._ Her eyes wandered to the night stand next to her bed. She reached over, pulled on the drawer, and delved her hand in. She rummaged around until she finally wrapped her fingers around the phallic-like shape she was in search of. “I’ll focus on myself, alright,” she said with a smirk, pulling out the purple vibrator from the drawer.


	11. Part 1- Ch 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Year's Eve! And it's time to celebrate at Kong Studios the Gorillaz way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM A DUMB BITCH. I uploaded the wrong chapter lmao!! Holy shit I am dumb. Anyway, here's the right chapter.

November seemed to pass in a blur. The album was coming together well and on schedule. To Sam’s delight, the closer to the deadline the busier she seemed to get, which helped her keep her mind off of her problem. In fact, by the time December rolled around she had almost completely forgotten about her post-Halloween ordeal.  
It did help that Murdoc was also becoming increasingly busy and stress out because of it, which then led him to find outlets to take his stress out. Outlets being strange women he’d meet at bars. This then led to infrequent meetings in the halls for Sam, which meant that she didn’t have to think about him.  
December seemed like a kind of refuge for Sam. The band and staff members were able to take off up to two weeks from work for the holidays, and Sam was eager to take those two weeks and stretch them all the way to Texas. She bought the plane tickets, made staying arrangements with Laura, and counted down the days until she could finally leave the dreary and freezing country she resided in.  
She was very chipper and excited to leave when the day finally arrived. She almost forgot to say goodbye to everyone in her excitement. So, she gave everyone a very curt goodbye and was finally off on her way to the airport. She only had one thing on her mind: real tacos, here I come!  
The band was left to celebrate Christmas by themselves. It wasn’t exactly a “Christmas” celebration, however, seeing as three out of the four members didn’t necessarily celebrate it. Since Murdoc was a Satanist, he had nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever. 2D was a newly practicing Buddhist, so he couldn’t celebrate either, though he still enjoyed the aesthetics and all around jolly feel. Noodle couldn’t remember if she ever celebrated Christmas before even arriving to Kong Studios, so she was clueless to what it entailed. Russel was the only one that ever wanted to celebrate. He arranged for a tree to be delivered, then he’d decorate it in a cheery manor, all while wearing a festive Christmas sweater. He’d make everyone watch Christmas movies with him, and he’d even have a Christmas dinner catered for them. But this year he noticed a lack of effort from everyone. They all seemed a bit down, like something was missing.  
Or someone.  
Sam, on the other hand, had a marvelous and festive time during her holiday. She felt somewhat whole again, though she did miss everyone back in England.  
She stayed with Laura and they caught up on everything going on in their lives. Colin dropped in several times, giving her constricting hugs each time, as if he were catching up on months of ungiven hugs. They all celebrated Christmas together, exchanging gifts and making dinner together. Sam even pointed out Laura under the mistletoe, which then resulted in Colin swooping in and giving her a peck on the cheek. They all laughed together, sharing in their beautiful friendship on that special day.  
And just as fast as Sam had arrived, it was time for her to depart. Her friends dropped her off at the airport, sadness taking over each one’s heart. Laura tearfully embraces Sam, telling her to come back very soon. Colin wrapped his burley arms around Sam, holding on for what seemed like an eternity. When he finally let go, Sam disappeared into the crowd to find her gate.  
On the plane ride, Sam’s heart ached to leave her dear friends behind again. But she knew that she had people waiting for her in England; people, she soon began to realize, that she missed terribly.  
Getting off the taxi and stepping foot in Kong Studios felt almost nostalgic to her, remembering the first time she came here. She was so nervous and creeped out by her surroundings, but now the familiar stench of the landfill and fogginess of the cemetery was like welcome home for her.  
Stepping inside, there was a familiar quietness that pervaded the building. She rolled her luggage to the elevator, the only sound being the wheels and her footsteps on the linoleum floors. She hopped into the lift and made her way to her floor.  
She felt very jet lagged, of course, since she lost six hours during her flight. She shuffled her way to her room, almost falling in when she finally got her door open. Dragging her suitcase to the side and letting it fall over unattended, she fell back onto her bed, exhausted and cold. And starving, she thought as her stomach rumbled angrily. Sighing, she picked herself up from the bed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.  
When she walked into the room, she was very surprised to see it in a state of chaos. The kitchen was usually very clean, seeing as nobody ever really used it except her, and she always cleaned up after herself. Dishes were piled in the sink and plastic containers were thrown haphazardly on the counters and table. She kicked aside an aluminum baking dish that had some type of crust left on the bottom out of the way from the fridge.  
“What the hell happened to this place?” She asked into the empty room as she began searching the contents of the fridge, which didn’t hold much, to her dismay.  
“Sam?” A squeaky Cockney voice called out from behind her.  
Sam, startled, quickly spun around to come face to face with 2D, letting the fridge door slam shut. “2D! What did I say about sneaking up on me?” She clutched her racing heart.  
“You’re back! It felt like foreva!” He exclaimed, a grin stretching across his face.  
Sam couldn’t help but chuckle at his excitement. “It’s only been a couple of weeks, ‘D. By the way, why is there such a mess?”  
“Oh,” 2D said, giving her a guilty grimace. “Ya see, Russel wanted a big Christmas dinna, so he hired a buncha caterers to cook for us. I guess they didn’t really clean up aftawards…”  
Sam furrowed her brow and crossed her arms in front of herself. “You guys are so helpless without me! How did y’all manage before?” She bent down, trying to pick up what she could from off the floor.  
2D shrugged, watching her bend down to clean up in a trance-like state. Her jeans hugged her hips nicely, he noticed. But as soon as she straightened up and looked back at him, he looked away, guilt settling in. “Guess we’re jus’ lucky to ‘ave you now.”  
Sam shook her head him but smiled despite herself. “Flattery will get you,” she started, then paused. “Everywhere,” she ended with a laugh. She placed the trash she picked up in the trash can— or at least tried, pushing it down into the already filled and compacted bin. “Remind me to get the interns to clean this up.”  
2D nodded, then lit up, remembering something. “Hey, you made it back in time for the New Year’s Eve party!”  
Sam tried to push the lid back onto the trash bin, but to no avail. It popped back up, the mountain of trash being too much for it. She sighed and gave up trying to fix it. She turned her attention back to 2D with a questioning brow raised. “A New Year’s Eve party?”  
“Yeah! It’s gonna be here. We throw one every year,” he said excitedly.  
“Hmm,” Sam thought. “I did wonder what I was going to do for New Year’s Eve. That’s perfect, then.”  
“Great!” 2D then wrung his hands together anxiously, a question hanging in his mind. “Actually,” he began hesitantly, a waver in his voice. “I was jus’ wonderin’ if…you’d like to go wif me….” He held his breath, waiting for Sam’s response.  
“Oh,” she said, taken off guard by the proposal. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and looked up at him. “Of course I’ll go with you, ‘D.”  
His cheeks heated up and a big cheery grin settled on his face. Wrapping his arms around her torso, he lifted her off the ground and spun around. “It’s gonna be great, Sam! I can’t wait!”  
As soon as he released her, she wobbled a bit before catching her footing again. She laughed at his giddy excitement and said, “Me either. I always have a fun time when I’m with you.” She walked past him towards the door. “Well, I guess I’ll see you then. I’m gonna go and get some much needed food, seeing as this place is cleared out.”  
Before she left, 2D shouted after her, “It’s black and gold themed! I’ll pick ya’ up at your room!”  
“Perfect!” She said, knowing exactly what she could wear to the party.  
~~~  
Sam pulled the top of her dress up, frowning in the mirror. “Ugh, did my boobs grow?” She muttered to herself, looking down at her chest. The tight black sequined dress fell quite short on her and her breasts were practically spilling out. She fiddled with the top some more before finally letting her breasts settle into it. She shrugged, giving up on trying to be modest.  
She was in the middle of poking earrings into her ears when she heard a gentle knock at her door. She padded over with an inquisitive look and opened it, 2D standing nervously before her. He wore a nicely pressed black suit, but the overall length wasn’t right. His pants hit just above his ankles and his sleeves showed his skinny wrists.  
Sam admired how dapper he looked in his suit despite the length issue. His wide and childlike grin made her heart sing with happiness. But her happiness soon faded when she realized that she was running behind.  
“Oh my god, 2D, I didn’t even realize what time it was!” Sam gasped, turning to look at the alarm clock on her bed stand.  
“S’okay, I can wait for you downstairs,” said 2D.  
“Don’t be a stranger, ‘D, you can wait inside,” Sam insisted, grabbing his wrist and leading him into her room. “Just sit wherever, I won’t be too long.”  
2D took a seat on the bed, looking around the room. He had never been in her room before but always wondered what it looked like. The walls were painted a nice cream color and string lights were strung all along the room, giving off an inviting warmth. A black fuzzy rug sat beneath the bed in the center of the room, complimenting well with the crisp white bedding. It was probably the nicest room in the entire building. 2D felt like he was in a hotel room.  
His eyes wandered to Sam, who was brushing her hair into a high ponytail. His eyes followed down the nape of her neck, down her back, and to her….  
“Done!” said Sam, twirling two pieces of hair down from the ponytail to frame her face. “Maybe we won’t be so late after all.” She slipped into a pair of thigh high boots and gave one last look in the mirror. “Does this look good?” She turned to 2D, gesturing to her outfit.  
2D perked up from his daze and nodded enthusiastically. “Perfect!” He stood from his seat and admired her. “You look amazin’, Sam.”  
“This old thing?” She teased, locking her arm with his. Even with her high heeled boots on he still had a huge height advantage.  
~~~  
The party was being held in one of the building’s many entertainment rooms. When Sam and 2D walked in, Sam marveled at how big and crowded the place was. A large disco ball hung from the ceiling and many colored lights flashed about. A DJ was playing all of the best hits of that year.  
“There are so many people!” Sam exclaimed over the music. “I’ve never been to such a huge party before, and I’ve been to an Alpha Theta Gamma party.”  
2D nodded, pretending to know what she was talking about. “Y-Yeah, me too!” He agreed.  
Sam looked into the crowd, seeing everyone dancing and grinding on each other. “Wanna dance?” She turned to 2D, holding out her hand.  
“Sure!” He took her hand and eagerly pulled her to the dance floor.  
The crowd was thick with dancing, sweaty people bumping into them. Once they were in the center, they started moving to the music.  
Sam was surprised, to say the least. She didn’t peg 2D as the dancing type. With his long and gangly limbs, she figured he wouldn’t know what to do with them. But he kept up with her on the dance floor. He twirled her around the dance floor, both of them having the time of their life.  
After dancing to three songs, the two of them had really worked up a sweat. They worked their way through the crowd and off of the dance floor.  
Sam collapsed in a chair off to the side, fanning herself with her hand. “I haven’t danced that hard in awhile! And I didn’t know you were such a good dancer, ‘D!”  
2D blushes at her compliment and smiled. “I ‘ave a good partner,” he responded with a wink.  
Sam giggled and swatted his arm playfully. “We have to go out dancing more often.” She paused, catching her breath. “I am dying of thirst.”  
“Oh, there’s an open bar,” 2D suggested. “I could get ya’ somefing.”  
“Ooh, perfect!” Sam squealed delightfully. “I’ll have a cranberry vodka. Make that a double, actually.” As 2D walked away with her order, she sat back in the chair and tried smoothing out her hair, a few stray hairs falling out of her ponytail from the dancing.  
Not paying attention to her surroundings, Sam suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She jerked her shoulder back, startled by the strange contact on her skin. She looked up, a scowl resting on her face. “Hey, don’t fucking touch—” she began, but as soon as she saw Murdoc’s beady black eyes staring down at her she reeled herself back in. “Oh, Murdoc…” she said, her voice softening.  
“You didn’t tell me you were back,” said Murdoc, a sneer gracing his lips.  
Sam scoffed. “I didn’t know I had to inform you of my schedule.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
Murdoc pulled a chair up next to her, sitting backwards on it and leaning over the backing. “Coulda’ at least called,” he muttered. “Does anyone else know? Or is Ol’ Mudsy just outta the loop?”  
“2D is the only one who knows. And that’s only because I ran into him when I got back home.” Sam kicked herself for explaining herself to him. Why the hell does he care? He’s not my keeper! “Why didn’t you tell me there was going to be a party? 2D invited me last minute.”  
“How was I to know when you were coming back?” cried Murdoc, brows furrowing.  
“Everyone got two weeks off for the holiday! Just check your damn calendar and you would’ve known!” Sam, starting to get frustrated, eyed him suspiciously. He sat there, leaned over, only inches away from her face. He was wearing his normal black attire, but this time a shiny black leather jacket covered his torso. Her heart started to quicken as he stared at her. “Why do you care?” She finally asked.  
Murdoc rolled his eyes, leaning back and away from her. “Feh,” he muttered, sticking his hands in his jacket’s pockets. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone has left without sayin’ goodbye.” He took out a pack of cigarettes from one of the pockets and gave the top of it a few whacks on his palm.  
Murdoc’s words resonated in Sam. She looked away, opting to look at the confetti covered floor. “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I guess I just didn’t think you cared.”  
“I don’t,” Murdoc said, opening the pack and taking a cigarette out. “I just need to know if I’m gonna need ta hire a new manager.” He cracked a wicked grin, feeling quite pleased with himself for making Sam feel guilty.  
Sam narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth to give a retort, but 2D suddenly walked up beside her, their drinks in his hands.  
“Oh, Murdoc…” 2D said, his mood souring at the sight of his band mate.  
“Hey, Two Dents. Remember when I saw you earlier and ya told me that Sam was back from holiday?” Murdoc glowered at 2D, grinding his teeth menacingly. “Neither do I,” he growled.  
2D’s hands shook at the anger in Murdoc’s voice, making the drinks splash about. Sam stole her drink away before it spilled on her and placed a hand on his arm to calm him.  
“Murdoc’s just mad because he wasn’t the first to know,” Sam said, side eying Murdoc. “Though it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.”  
Murdoc finally put the cigarette he’s been holding in his mouth. “Yeah,” he mumbled, reaching for his lighter in his pocket. “You’d be here with me instead.”  
Sam almost spit out her drink at Murdoc’s response. “Like hell I would! Ugh, come on, ‘D, lets go somewhere that doesn’t smell like total arrogance.” She stood from her chair and, taking 2D’s wrist, lead him to the opposite side of the room, leaving Murdoc alone to smoke by himself.  
All the while Sam dragged 2D away, she mumbled to herself. “That bastard! Who the hell does he think he is? First of all, it’s none of his business when I got back from my trip. He acts like he owns me or something! Second of all, how dare he assume that I would be here with him! I mean, who says that? Especially right in front of my date!”  
2D’s face lit up when he heard date. “D-Date?” He repeated for clarification.  
Sam’s cheeks heated a little. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to call you my date. It’s just that, in these situations, I would normally call someone that…” she said, trying to backtrack. The two stood at the far back wall of the room, away from most of the crowd and out of sight from Murdoc.  
“No, no, it’s okay. I mean, it kinda is, idn’t it?” 2D responded nervously, hoping she would agree.  
Sam looked down at her drink and stirred it with the straw. “Well, most of the dates I’ve had never even bought my drinks, so you’re one step ahead.”  
That made 2D feel a bit more confident, even though the bartender gave him their drinks for free. “I’d buy you all the drinks in the world!”  
Sam laughed, flattered by his offer. “You’re sweet, 2D.”  
2D’s heart sped up in nervousness. He looked down at her, her cheeks rosy with blush, eyes sparkling with the reflection of the disco ball overhead, and her lips shiny and wet with gloss. He had the sudden urge to kiss her. He slowly started to lean down, but Sam turned her face towards the crowd of dancers in front of them.  
“I wonder how many people are here. Who was invited?” Sam asked curiously, sipping on her drink.  
2D sighed, bummed at his missed opportunity. “I’d say about ova’ five hundred?” He guesstimated. “Murdoc invited a buncha’ people. Russ invited a lot of his friends from New York too. I invited some people, but I’m not sure they came…”  
Sam nodded, mesmerized by the people dancing. “What about Noodle?”  
“She don’t know that many people, her bein’ so young ‘nd all.”  
Sam frowned. “Is she even here?”  
2D shrugged. “She said she wasn’t gonna come. She’d ratha’ be in her room playin’ video games or practicin’ guitar. I don’t blame her, really.”  
Sam nodded. “I guess I don’t, either. I mean, what fourteen year old girl wants to party with a bunch of adults?”  
“I’m an adult and I hardly want to,” said 2D tiredly.  
Sam couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you want to dance again? There isn’t really much to do other than that. Plus, I really don’t want Murdoc finding us again, and hiding in the crowd of people would surely camouflage us.”  
“Good idea,” 2D responded, always glad to keep a distance from Murdoc in any way possible.  
This time Sam took 2D by the hand and lead him to the dance floor, ditching their drinks on some table nearby. Once they were securely inside the mob of people, Sam took both of 2D’s hands in her’s and spun them around the dance floor, the two giggling with each other.  
They stopped as soon as the song changed to a slower R&B tune. They both stood there, watching everyone either leave the dance floor or couple up. Sam looked up at 2D who was awkwardly looking around at the couples moving closely together to the music. The way he eyed them with a sense of longing left Sam with a feeling of slight pity for him. So, she took his hands and placed them on her waist, then threw her arms around his neck and started swaying to the song.  
Sam threw 2D off guard. He thought for certain that she wouldn’t want to slow dance with him. But why wouldn’t she? He thought, looking down at her. When she looked back up him, her warm smile banished any insecurities he had in that moment. All he could think about was how beautiful she was and how he wanted to stay in that moment forever.  
Little did they know, the two had danced their way into Murdoc’s line of vision. He watched grumpily from his seat as the music changed to a slow jam. He thought for sure that they would walk away, not wanting to feel awkward in such a sensual setting, but as soon as Sam took 2D’s hands and set them on her waist, Murdoc was fuming. The way she carelessly threw her arms around his neck and smiled up at him, and how he gripped her waist like he never wanted to let go— it made Murdoc sick. He flicked his cigarette onto the floor, crushing it when he stood. Things were starting to get a little too “middle school dance” for him. He couldn’t watch anymore.  
As the two danced, they felt more at ease with the closeness. Sam watched as 2D looked down at his own feet, nervously trying to stay on the beat. She took his face in her hands and made him focus on her. “What are you doing? You were dancing just fine earlier.”  
2D bit his lip apprehensively. “I dunno, this is jus’…different. Regular dancin’ is more free, you can do whateva’ you want. But slow dancin’ is…there’s more rules, ya know?”  
Sam nodded in understanding. “I get it. But don’t worry, you have a great dance partner remember?” She said with a cheeky smile. “Just go with the flow.”  
With her encouragement, 2D was able to loosen up and dance without looking down. After a while, he noticed Sam rest her chin on his shoulder, closing any remaining space between them. He tried swallowing the nerves building up inside him.  
When the song ended, Sam broke away from 2D, but his hands were still firmly on her waist. With a chuckle she said, “Uh, you can let me go now, 2D.”  
With flaming cheeks, 2D quickly reeled his hands back and, with a nervous laugh, said, “Oh, s-sorry!”  
The music faded back into party hits, resulting in more people returning to the floor. “Do you wanna get some air? It’s starting to get a little stuffy in here,” asked Sam, pushing the loose strand of hair framing her face behind her ear.  
2D nodded in agreement, leading the two of them away from the growing crowd and out of the party room. The hallway was like a breath of fresh air. There were a few people standing around and talking, also needing to get away from the party.  
2D shoved his hands in his pant pockets, feeling the pack of cigarettes he always kept with him. With that reminder, he suddenly had the craving for one. “I fink I’m gonna go smoke. Wanna come?” He asked Sam, jutting his thumb in the direction of the front door.  
Sam rubbed her shoulders, feeling the chilly air of the hallway starting to cool her off already. She grimaced, knowing that it would be two times colder outside, and probably even snowing. Her strapless mini dress was not the most fitting attire for a British winter.  
She waved her hand at him, motioning to go ahead without her. “I’m not really in the mood to catch pneumonia. You go on without me, I’ll wait here for you.” She watched as he walked away, out of sight and into the brisk coldness of outside, where a lot of people took freezing solace in the designated smoking area.  
Sam leaned against the wall, hugging herself for warmth. She almost thought of going back inside, but the sight of familiar green skin in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She walked over to Murdoc, who was just a few feet away, posted up against the wall and smoking. “You know the smoking area is outside, right?” She said to him.  
Murdoc hadn’t even noticed Sam walk up to him before she said anything. He blew a puff of smoke out, dragging it out slowly so that he had time to think of what to say to her. “I live here, I do what I want.”  
“That’s very rebellious of you,” remarked Sam sarcastically, leaning against the wall next to him.  
“Where’s your new boyfriend? Didya’ get tired of him already?”  
Sam cocked a confused eyebrow at him. “My what?”  
“Ya know, Face Ache? Gotta say, didn’t peg him as your type.” He took a long, deep drag, the smoke filling his lungs.  
Sam’s eyes grew big, embarrassment creeping in. “2D?! Oh my god, he’s not my boyfriend,” she said, wondering if she had given 2D the wrong impression as well. “He’s, like, my best friend here!”  
“Oh really? Do ya usually cuddle up close with your best friends like that?” Murdoc said, referring to what he saw on the dance floor.  
Sam opened her mouth to rebuttal, but she couldn’t come up with an excuse. “You know what? I am so tired of you bringing stuff up that doesn’t involve you. What 2D and I do is none of your business. So just stay out of it!” She turned away from him, rubbing her biceps furiously, trying to warm herself up.  
She suddenly felt something warm being draped around her shoulders. When she turned around she noticed Murdoc sans his leather jacket. She pulled the jacket around her tighter, enjoying the warmth it radiated. She could even smell Murdoc’s cologne on it, exciting her senses and unlocking the feelings she had for him before she left on vacation. Shit, she thought as she glanced at him. He just stood there and flicked his finished cigarette onto the floor, crushing it with the heel of his boot. Why does he do this to me? It’s not fair!  
“Why don’t ya take a picture, love? That way you could stare at it for as long as ya want.” Murdoc smirked, glaring at her from the corner of his eyes.  
Sam quickly looked away, flustered. “I don’t know why you’re so in my business today. Or why you care at all. It’s not like I’m anything to you other than a manager.”  
Murdoc’s face turned serious and hard as stone. “And how the bloody hell do you know that?”  
Sam laughed bitterly. “Because I’ve never been anything to you! Even when we slept together, I was just another notch in your bedpost. And, you know, I was okay with that at the time, but…” she stopped herself, too ashamed to go on.  
She could suddenly hear the countdown to midnight start from inside. She wished that 2D would hurry back so that he wouldn’t miss it. So that they could go inside and away from Murdoc. But 2D was still outside smoking, and Sam was still glued to her spot next to Murdoc.  
“But what?” Demanded Murdoc impatiently. “This is your problem, toots. You want to believe ya got me all figured out. Ol’ Mudsy is just an easy book ta’ read. Well you’re wrong.”  
“Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight! Twenty-seven!”  
“I’m just some scum afta’ some tail at the end of the day, aren’t I?” He continued, looking Sam square in the eye. “What would a nice girl like you want anything ta’ do with me, right? I’m just an old, disgustin’, piece of—”  
“Twenty! Nineteen! Eighteen! Seventeen!”  
“Jesus, Murdoc shut the hell up! For once just shut the hell up and listen!” Sam interrupted him. “I like you, okay! I fucking like you, you fucking idiot!” She punched his chest, hard enough to make him stumble back a bit.  
Murdoc just stared at her blankly, not expecting that answer at all. “You what?” He asked doubtfully.  
“Ten! Nine! Eight!”  
“You fucking heard me! And you know what? I don’t care if you know anymore!” Sam couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was like a weight had been released off her chest and she could breathe for the first time in months. “I’m done hiding it! So, you can either take it or leave it, Murdoc, because here I am.” She held her arms out and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the rejection she had been fearing ever since she caught feelings for him.  
“Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!”  
Before she could comprehend anything, Sam felt Murdoc’s lips crash against her’s. One arm snaked around her waist and the other hand clutching the nape of her neck, pressing her closer to him, dipping her slightly towards the floor. She melted into his kiss, having been craving his touch for so long. Now she felt like all the wait had been well worth it.  
The sound of cheering and noise makers from inside the party could be heard from outside, where 2D stood around with the other smokers. As soon as he heard the cheering, he dropped the cigarette butt, looking at his phone frantically for the time. It was exactly twelve o’clock. “Oh bloody ‘ell!” He exclaimed, rushing inside. He had planned for Sam to be his New Year’s kiss, but now he had ruined it all because he wanted to smoke. He had to find her quickly to redeem himself. He walked a little ways down the hall, but instead of seeing Sam waiting for him alone, his eyes were met with the sight of Murdoc stealing his New Year’s kiss from her.  
2D’s stomach dropped and all his hopes shattered. There she was, the girl of his dreams kissing his mortal enemy. There weren’t enough painkillers in the world to soothe the pain he felt in that moment.  
When the cheering faded so did their kiss. 2D stood there waiting for any sign that she didn’t want it. A slap to Murdoc’s smug face, a stomp to the foot, an insult, at least a frown. But to his crushing disappointment she looked up at him with twinkling eyes and a smile. He watched as Sam took Murdoc by the hand and lead him away and out of sight, leaving 2D to celebrate the new year alone.  
~~~  
Sam quickly lead Murdoc up to her room, ravenously making out along the way. They crashed into her room, Sam backing Murdoc into her bed. The back of his knees hit the edge of the bed, making him fall onto it. He looked up at Sam with dark and hungry eyes.  
Sam quickly tore off her dress, leaving her in only a strapless bra and panties. “Take your pants off,” she demanded.  
Murdoc let out a low chuckle. “A wee impatient, aren’t we?” He started unbuttoning his pants as ordered.  
“I’ve waited too long for this.” Sam swatted his hands away from his pants impatiently as soon as they were unbuttoned and straddled his waist, her thighs clutching his hips. She peeled his shirt up and over his head, promptly leaving a trail of kisses from his chest down to waistband of his pants.  
“My sentiments exactly,” replied Murdoc, smirking as he eyed Sam as her hands hooked around the waistband of his pants. In one swift swoop, she tore them off of him, leaving him in nothing but his underwear.  
Sam straddled him again, her butt pressing against his crotch tantalizingly. She leaned down, pressing her lips against his ear. “After tonight, you’re never gonna want to sleep with another girl again,” she purred, her breath tickling the shell of his ear and sending a shiver down his whole body as well as making his groin harden underneath her.  
“That’s a very confident statement there, love,” Murdoc said, putting his hands on her waist. “Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” He slipped out from under her, switching positions so that he was on top, pinning her beneath him. He grinned, regaining power over her.  
Sam bit her lip, peering up at him as he loomed over her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him flush against her. She could feel his bulge against her, exciting her even more. Best night ever, she thought, wrapping her arms around Murdoc’s neck, bringing him down to meet her lips.  
~~~  
The night went on, the party raging until the wee hours of morning. Russel partied himself into a coma-like state, needing a group of people to transport him to his room and into bed. 2D sulked alone in the studio, drinking a bottle of whisky and eventually passing out. Noodle slept safe and warm in her bed, unaware of anything else going on in the building. After being awake for hours, sweating over each other in a lustful daze, Sam and Murdoc were finally asleep. Sam’s head rested on his chest and Murdoc’s arms wrapped firmly around her body.  
It was a new year.


	12. Part 1- Ch 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending the night together, Sam and Murdoc have a heart to heart. It could change their relationship forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now that the chapters are all cleaned up and I fixed my mistake (see chapter 11 for that shit show) we can move this train along! Part 1 has officially been written! Should be smooth sailings from here. 5 more chapter from here everyone, then part 2 will be live! Stay tuned for more!

Sam’s eyes fluttered open. The room was dark and silent, but the familiarity of her room comforted her. However, something was not so familiar. The warmth of Murdoc’s body next to her was different, yet she felt safe and content. Her head lay on his bare chest, feeling the rise and fall with every breath and the faint sound of the beating of his heart.  
As she lay there, her mind raced. The scene of her confessing her feelings for Murdoc playing over and over again in her mind and the warmth of the kiss still on her lips. Her cheeks felt rosy as she mulled everything over. She felt slightly insecure; after all, he had not returned her feelings. Did he just take advantage of the moment to get me to bed? She thought, worrying on her lip.  
She sat up, leaning against the headboard, pulling her knees up to her chest. The movement disturbed Murdoc from his slumber, causing him to groan and turn towards Sam. He opened his eyes, squinting at Sam next to him. “What time is it?” He muttered, feeling as though he hadn’t gotten any sleep.  
Sam glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. “Seven thirty,” she stated.  
“What? Not rushing to work like last time?” Said Murdoc, clasping his hands behind his head and letting his eyelids fall again.  
“No,” she said with a huff. “Unless you want me to, which in that case I’ll have to kick you out of my room.” She glanced back at him, a teasing smirk on her lips. They both let out a chuckle.  
“Nah, your bed is more comfortable than mine, anyway.”  
A silence fell over them, Sam feeling more and more insecure about the whole ordeal. This is so awkward! Should I just say something? Will that make it weirder? But I want to know where we stand! Gah! “So,” she spoke up again. “About last night…”  
“Oh yeah, sorry ‘bout that, love, I could’ve sworn you said harder— “  
“Not that!” Sam exclaimed, her cheeks reddening at the memory. She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, trying to calm herself. “I just…I’m confused, is all.” She furrowed her brows, creating a small worry crease in the center on them.  
Murdoc’s eyes opened, sitting up and cocking a brow at her. “I’ve never heard that one before. Embarrassed, ashamed, full of regret—now that’s what birds usually say afta’ a night with me.”  
Sam turned her body towards him, her eyes longing for him to tell her what she wanted to hear. “What are we doing? What is this? What was last night? Murdoc, I can’t just sit here and pretend nothing happened, because something did happen. I mean…” She trailed off, trying to find the words to explain her frustration. Finally, she just blurted out, “what are we?”  
Murdoc’s eyes widened a bit, caught off-guard by the question. If he was being honest, he hadn’t thought about that. After all, he was thinking with his second head up until that point. He shrugged and said, “Eh, let’s not get carried away with labels here, love.”  
Sam eyed him dubiously but didn’t say anything. She just sat there, listening to what else he had to say.  
“I mean, why not just wait and see what happens?” Murdoc hoped to Satan that Sam would settle with that as an answer because he surely didn’t have a backup.  
Sam took a moment to process what he said. Is he just saying this to appease me? Is this the most neutral answer he could think of? Maybe this is just his way of putting me down gently. But would he even bother putting me down gently? She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Why am I even worrying about this? If it’s meant to be then it’s meant to be. I guess I should just wait and see. With resolve, Sam gave Murdoc a nod. “Yeah, okay,” was all she said on the topic.  
“Now then,” said Murdoc, sliding back down into the pillows. “If you’re not going off to work, let’s get back ta what we were doing before.” He clasped his fingers behind his head again and closed his eyes.  
Sam rolled her eyes. She grabbed the blankets and pulled them off of him, exposing his naked body to the air. “I have a better idea.” She leaned in closer to him, tracing circles on his chest.  
She certainly grabbed his attention. His eyes shot open, lust setting into his eyes. “I’m all ears.”  
“Lets…” she started, dragging it out. “Get breakfast!” Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she jumped up and started for the closet door.  
Murdoc groaned, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. “It’s too early for breakfast!”  
“It’s too early for sex, but you were willing to do that!”  
“Sex is an around the clock activity, baby!”  
Sam stepped out of the closet wearing tight black pants and a deep red cable knit sweater. She scooped up Murdoc’s shirt from the floor and tossed it at his head. “I’d rather eat.”  
“Well, me too, but my kind of eating doesn’t involve us leaving this bed,” said Murdoc with a wicked grin. Even fully clothed, he looked at her like a beast stalking his prey.  
Sam only rolled her eyes, a smile creeping up the sides of her mouth.  
~~~  
They decided on a café not too far away from the studio. Murdoc opted to take the Geep since Sam had never seen it before, but she guessed that he just wanted to impress her by the way he bragged about it. “This baby can get up ta two-hundred and thirty miles per hour. Maybe I’ll even let ya’ take it for a spin.”  
Sam graciously accepted his offer, though she really wasn’t very impressed, seeing as she wasn’t a car person at all. She happily sat and watched Murdoc drive them to the café, feeling content next to him.  
It was a quaint little French café. They prided themselves over their freshly baked breads and authentic French cuisine. The two took the table closet to the back of the restaurant.  
As they sat looking over the menu, Murdoc’s eyes wandered to Sam, who was still preoccupied with deciding what she wanted to order. He studied her face for the first time. Sure, he had seen her hundreds of times before, but never like this. She was fresh faced, zero makeup with her hair pulled up into a ponytail. Her skin was smooth and the color of melted caramel. And, to his surprise, tiny little freckles dotted across her nose and cheeks. He had never noticed before, probably because she always wore makeup to cover them.  
He cleared his throat, making her glance up at him from her menu. “Didn’t know you had freckles.”  
“Oh, yeah,” Sam said, chuckling nervously. “They’re pretty faint, and practically nonexistent when I wear makeup.”  
Murdoc turned his attention back to his menu, but before he went silent again he said, “‘S cute.”  
Sam couldn’t stop herself from smiling at his compliment. She held up her menu to her face, trying to hide her giddiness. As she did, she peered over the top, admiring him.  
His stubble was starting to come in, and she could feel it when he kissed her that night. His eyelashes were longer than she expected. His hair was soft and shiny. Sam wondered to herself how she didn’t fall for this man from the start. Because he’s a pig, her subconscious screamed at her, but she pushed that thought deep down and ignored it.  
The server came, interrupting Sam’s inner battle, and took their orders. He left afterwards and soon came back with two mugs full of coffee— a soy latte for Sam and a strikingly black americano for Murdoc. Once the server was gone, they were free to talk amongst themselves.  
“So,” Sam began, looking down into the mug and observing the intricate details in the foam art. “You said you would’ve asked me to go with you to the party last night. Was that true or were you just smooth talking?”  
Murdoc let out a chuckle after taking a drink of the scalding hot coffee. “Little bit a’ both, I suppose.”  
“Why? So you wouldn’t look like a loser coming to a party all alone?” She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. She knew that kind of self important thinking wasn’t too far off from Murdoc.  
“First, I neva’ look like a loser, Sammy. Secondly, I like you, ya dumb bint.”  
Sam, caught off guard by what he said, slurped her hot latte too fast, burning her tongue and throat and causing her to cough uncontrollably. She grabbed the linen napkin in front of her and held it to her mouth. After her fit was over, she looked up at him and said into her napkin, “You do?”  
Murdoc took one look at her and started to laugh. “Are ya really that dumb, or are ya just that imperceptive?”  
Sam felt rather insulted. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“Nothin’ love, it’s simply just an observation.”  
“And how was I supposed to know that you really do like me? You’re not exactly a transparent person, Muds.”  
“How so?”  
“Well, let’s see,” Sam began, already making a mental list. “You flirt a lot but then you insult me at the same time, you hate when I’m with other men but you sleep with other women all the time, and you hate talking about yourself so I never know what’s going on with you. Shall I go on?”  
“You’re not exactly the poster child of communication, either, Sammy,” Murdoc retorted. “As I recall, you were the one that ignored me for months before ya left on holiday. Rememba’ that?”  
Sam winced as soon as Murdoc threw that in her face. “Er, yeah, sorry about that. I was very…confused at the time.”  
“You use that word a lot.”  
“Well, you’re a very confusing person to be around!” She paused as soon as the server arrived with their food. Once their omelets were in front of them and the server left them alone again, she continued. “With everyone telling me I should stay away from you and my conflicting feelings and you just being…you, I thought that taking a break from you to sort out my thoughts and feelings would help.” She poked the omelet with her fork, eying it regretfully. “But as soon as I saw you yesterday at the party I knew I hadn’t figured anything out. You still continue to pervade my thoughts and twist my feelings at every turn.”  
With a mouthful of egg and mushrooms, Murdoc said casually, “A bit dramatic, eh love?”  
Sam gawked at him. She had just poured out her heart and how she was feelings and he was calling her dramatic? Screw you, Murdoc! She gritted her teeth and angrily stabbed her omelet.  
“The way I see it,” he said, pointing his fork at her. “Ya think too much. Take a page from ol’ Mudsy’s book—less thinking, more doing.” He watched as Sam bit on her lip, analyzing his words. “You’re thinking right now!”  
“Ugh!” Sam groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s hard for me, okay? My mind is like my safe space when I can’t say the things I want. It’s easy for you, Murdoc, you always say the things you want. It’s like you don’t care about repercussions or what people think about you.”  
“Yeah, because I don’t give a fuck. See, that’s your problem. You give too many fucks. Ya give a fuck about your job, your friends, how ya look, your finances, and we both know ya give way too many fucks about me.”  
Sam opened her mouth to defend herself, but Murdoc was completely right. For once, she thought bitterly. He had her pegged right down to the smallest detail, and she still couldn’t figure out if he was truly hanging out with her because he actually liked her or because he hadn’t come up with a way to get rid of her or he just wanted to get in her pants again. You’re over thinking again! She chastised herself mentally. I guess I do give way too many fucks about him. “Okay, I’ll try to give less fucks about you.”  
“Good,” was all Murdoc replied, and continued shoving egg into his mouth.  
The conversation turned light hearted after that, mostly because they needed it to. Sam already felt emotionally drained and Murdoc had a limit for heart-to-heart conversations. So they sat there and talked about other things, such as music, work, and anything else going on in the world. Sam felt more at ease now, trying not to think and just do.  
Once they were done, the check came. Sam eyed the check, remembering that she forgot to ask for two. “Oh,” she called out before the server left. “We actually need two—”  
“Here,” said Murdoc, already with his wallet out and credit card in hand. The server took the card and check and went off to charge it.  
“You didn’t have to pay for me,” said Sam, feeling a bit uncomfortable.  
Murdoc shrugged, putting his wallet back in his pocket. “Does it matter? I write your paychecks anyway.” He noticed the pinkness in her cheeks and grinned, finding it the perfect opportunity to tease her a bit. “Besides, what kind of date would this be if I let you pay?”  
Sam slapped her hands against her cheeks, trying to hide the radiating blush. Her heart fluttered and she knew what he was trying to make her flustered. “I didn’t know this was a date.”  
“What? Too good to go on a date with me?”  
Sam let out a lighthearted chuckle. “No, it’s just surprising.”  
“I’m full’a surprises, love,” said Murdoc, giving her a wink.  
~~~  
Arriving back at the studio, Sam and Murdoc went their separate ways. Sam to her office and Murdoc to the studio, where the rest of the band was waiting.  
As soon as 2D saw Murdoc walk through the door his blood started to boil. If he didn’t hate him before, he absolutely loathed him now. Feeling a tad bit brave, he ran up on Murdoc, towering over him. “You—! You bloody wanker! You stole her!” He shoved Murdoc, making him tumble back into a guitar amp.  
Murdoc looked up at 2D under his fringe, straightening up from stumbling into the amp. 2D was fuming, and only he and Murdoc knew why. He chuckled, only fueling 2D’s anger even more. “Don’t ya have to have something ta have it stolen?”  
2D lunged to attack but Russel wrapped his vice grip around his arm and pulled him back. “Hey, that’s enough! This is a studio with a fuck ton of expensive equipment not fight club.”  
2D jerked his arm away from Russel, who let go without hesitation. “She was my date! And you stole her away!”  
Murdoc casually took a seat on the couch, finding the angry singer amusing. He shrugged and said, “I didn’t steal her if she’s the one that left ya.”  
2D was so angry that he didn’t even know what to say. He just paced from the control panel to the booth door then back towards Murdoc. “You stole one girl away from me before, you’re not gonna steal this one too!” He walked back to the control panel, falling into the swivel chair and holding his head in his hands. “Sam’s too important.”  
Murdoc rolled his eyes at 2D’s dramatics. He could so easily tell 2D that Sam didn’t give a single fuck about him. That she was already wrapped around his finger. But that little voice in the back of his head told him not to. He rarely listened to that voice, but he had a gut feeling that he should. Because Sam would never forgive him for ruining her and 2D’s friendship. Murdoc groaned, throwing his head back. Damn my conscience! He thought.  
Before Murdoc could say anything, Noodle cleared her throat. He glanced over at her, who was staring daggers at him. “Please can we get on with practice?” She said impatiently through her teeth.  
“Yes,” states Russel, also tired of the bickering between the two. “And you two,” he pointed to Murdoc and 2D with his drum sticks. “Cool it. Now. Or you both won’t make it to the album release alive.”  
The two men only tossed menacing glances towards each other without a word. Their hostility carried on throughout the day, making everyone uncomfortable.  
~~~  
Murdoc walked through the long hallway on his way to his bedroom. He was still annoyed about the turn of events in the studio that day. It put a whole damper on studio time. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and navigated to his messages. He scrolled down the list of texts from different women. Natalie?…no, she’s out of town. Christine?...no, she got married. Ooh, Jessica’s quite fun. He was just about to text her but then he read the text last sent from her: You are a fucking bastard! Never call me or text me ever again! Well, that was a bust. He continued on his search for a booty call. Monique, Eliza, Farrah, Sam— His eyes landed right on the message Sam sent him earlier that day. He must’ve looked right over it because he never replied. It read: Hey! I totally forgot to say thank you for breakfast, that was really nice of you. I won’t be in the studio today with y’all so I hope you have a good day!  
Murdoc tucked his phone back into his pocket. A sense of guilt started to settle in him, a feeling he wasn’t used to. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his conscience beating him over the head. Instead of heading straight to his room, he stopped in front of Sam’s door.  
Sam sat on her bed, scribbling in her planner book all the things that needed to be done that week. She felt very content in that moment; wearing flannel pajama pants and a black sports bra, her wet hair wrapped inside a towel on top of her head, leaning against the wall of pillows that lined the headboard. She was just about to scribble another bullet point down, but the click of her doorknob turning caught her attention. Her eyes shot up to the door, watching as it swung open, revealing Murdoc standing in the doorway.  
He didn’t say anything, he just let the door swing shut behind him and casually walked over to the bed, falling face first into the pillows next to Sam. Sam just watched him with a questioning raised brow, and when he landed next to her she patted his head. “Hello there.”  
Murdoc greeted her with a grunt, face still in the pillows.  
Sam was a little taken a back that he just barged in without any forewarning. She hadn’t planned on seeing him again for the rest of the day, assuming he’d have other plans. But she relished his company and went back to her planning as he lie next to her in silence.  
After a moment Murdoc lifted his head to peek up at Sam. He had hoped she would drop everything and tend to him, but it didn’t seem like she was putting the planner down soon. He let out an audible huff, but she didn’t even so much as glance at him. What am I in here for if she’s not even going to give me her undying attention? He eyed the bare flesh of her neck, tantalizing him and begging him to be sucked at. I’ll give her something to pay attention to.  
Sam felt Murdoc shift next to her but paid him no mind. She continued writing in her planner, but as soon as she felt his hot mouth on her neck, the sharpness of his teeth nibbling at her skin, she dropped her pen and let out a surprised squeal. “Murdoc—!” Was all she could say in protest before he pushed her down onto the pillows and covered her mouth with his.  
For a moment she forgot what she had been doing, her mind going fuzzy as Murdoc’s hands travelled down the sides of her bare torso, wrapping around her thighs. She absentmindedly kissed him back for a minute, but then his fingers hooked onto the waistband of her shorts. She quickly slapped his hands away and pushed him off of her. “Murdoc,” She said sternly, propping herself up. “I’m really not in the mood right now.”  
Murdoc scoffed at her. “What the bloody hell else are we gonna do?”  
“You can’t just barge into my room and demand I drop everything and tend to your needs!” Sam shot back, furrowing her brows in anger. “Is that why you’re here? Is that all you want from me?”  
Murdoc noted the annoyance written on her face. He sat back on his side of the bed, crossing his arms in front of him in defeat. He thought it wise to just drop it before Sam kicked him out. Then he really wouldn’t have anything to do. “I’m just bored,” he confessed, adding a groan in for emphasis.  
Sam ran her hands through her mussed up hair, trying to collect herself. “Well, why don’t you tell me about your day? How was work?”  
Murdoc shot an eyebrow up at her. Why the hell does she care? He though, shifting in his spot uncomfortably. “What’s this, an interview?”  
Sam couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of suspicion on his face. “No, I just want to know how your day was. Did you finish that track today? How does it sound?” She looked him in the eyes with genuine curiosity, leaning forward a bit, anticipating his answer.  
Murdoc wasn’t sure what to do. What she being serious? She really wanted to know how his day went? He cleared his throat, not sure of how to start. “Uh, yeah, we—uh, we finished it. Sounds good.”  
“That’s great! God, you guys are making such good progress. Do you have a favorite song yet? I haven’t really listened to all of them yet since I’ve been so busy, but the ones I’ve heard so far are fantastic.”  
“Heh, of course they’re fantastic! You sound surprised!” said Murdoc, leaning back onto the headboard, feeling a bit more relaxed. “All the songs are great, of course, but I have a good feeling about Feel Good Inc.”  
Sam tried to remember which track that was, but her brain was coming up empty. “Ah, which one is that again?”  
Murdoc rolled his eyes at her forgetfulness. “It’s the one with that sexy bass riff. I really think that riff is gonna be legendary once the album drops.”  
Sam didn’t have the heart to tell him that she didn’t remember, so she just nodded at him with a smile. “Oh yeah! That one is great.” She let her head fall onto his shoulder and caressed his arm. “Tell me more about your day.”  
Murdoc enjoyed Sam’s warmth next to him as she held tightly onto him. This was something completely new to him—talking to someone closely and them actually listening. His nights usually consisted of conversationless visits with strange women who kicked him out after they’ve had their fun. He had never really gotten to know any of them and none of them bothered to get to know him. Sam was so different from all the other women. When she asked you something, she listened intently to your reply. It made him wonder how a woman like her could like a man like him.  
As Murdoc talked, Sam listened contently. She could listen to him for hours, just watching him, his rough voice like a melody in her ears. It was moments like these that made her heart crave Murdoc more and more. He was like a drug to her, and the more she indulged in him the more she wanted.  
After a moment, they both stopped talking. Sam went back to her work and Murdoc let her, satisfied now with just being in her presence. A few moments pass and Murdoc is sound asleep next to her. She looked down at his sleeping face resting on the pillow. With a gratified smile, she smoothed out his hair, running her fingers through the silky raven locks. She could even make out a faint smile on his lips as he slept. Sam relished in the moment, and she wished they could stay like this forever.


	13. Part 1- Ch 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Sam's birthday and Murdoc has special plans for her, except those plans don't really turned out the way he had expected.

Sam awoke to an empty bed. Two months ago this would have been normal for her, but ever since New Year’s Eve, Murdoc was a frequent visitor. His excuse was that her bed was just more comfortable than his, but she knew better. After all, she knew what his bed felt like, and with those Egyptian cotton sheets, she couldn’t imagine Murdoc choosing her bed over his for comfort. No, he chose to sleep in bed with her for, what she could only assume, the company. And when she woke up early every morning with his arm draped across her, she knew that is was a safe assumption.  
But this day was not like the others. It was February eighth—Sam’s birthday. She had not told anyone of the fact. She wasn’t fond of birthdays, especially now that she was away from all of the people that were important to her. Laura and Collin had taken the place of her parents on her birthdays; making her a cake, buying gifts, and taking her out for a birthday dinner were yearly traditions for the three friends. Now that she was so far away from them, Sam felt like birthdays would never be the same. So, what was the point in celebrating?  
Sam went through the motions of getting out of bed and washing up. She knew the guys were waiting for her to meet them at the studio, but she couldn’t manage to put any pep in her step. She did manage to pour herself a cup of coffee before entering into the studio, though. She wasn’t sure if she would make it through the morning if she hadn’t.  
When she walked through the door, she expected that everyone had just gotten started. But as soon as she stepped in, a huge ruckus of cheers and party horns sounded off. The loud noise startled Sam, making her drop her coffee cup on the floor. She gasped at the sight of balloons and streamers lining the walls of the room and a banner that read “HAPPY BIRHTDAY SAM” in big red letters. Her eyes then wandered to the people that caused the mess. Russel, Noodle, and 2D gathered together, holding out a cake towards her, and Murdoc stoically standing next to them, arms crossed with a smug grin on his face.  
“Happy birthday, Sam!” they all cheered in unison.  
Sam, quickly trying to gather herself and the spilled coffee cup on the floor, struggled to find her words. “Wha—? How? When did ya’ll…?” She looked around frantically, not knowing how to react to the surprise.  
Russel chuckled at Sam’s confusion. “I couldn’t help but look over your resume again and notice your birthday.”  
Sam stood, mouth slightly agape, still in shock. “I—uh…” She looked down at the floor in front of her, carpet soaking in coffee, the splattering of it beading her legs where it splashed. “Oh jeez. Can someone hand me some napkins?” She started to bend down, but 2D reached out to her, pulling her by her arm to stand back up.  
“No work for you, birthday girl! We’ll get a’ intern to clean it up,” 2D assured her, leading her to the couch where Noodle placed the cake in front of her on the coffee table.  
“Well, I’m gonna have to go to work sometime today, 2D,” Sam corrected him.  
Murdoc yanked 2D back by the collar of his shirt, resulting in a high pitched yelp, replacing him next to Sam. “Of course you will, Sammy, but before then how about a nice morning buzz?” He reached behind him and revealed a bottle of champagne, wriggling it enticingly in front of her eyes.  
That put a smile on Sam’s face. She took the bottle in her hands and said, “Well, I guess being a few minutes off schedule won’t hurt.”  
Murdoc threw his arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “’Atta girl.”

About an hour and more than a few slices of cake later, they all sat around Sam, sipping their champagne (all except Noodle, who drank sparkling cider) and laughing at a joke someone told. Sam downed the rest of her third glass of champagne, the bubbly liquid giving her a nice fuzzy feeling.  
“Hey Sam,” Noodle spoke up. “Why did you not tell us of your birthday?” she asked very inquisitively.  
Sam placed her glass on the table in front of her and sighed, trying to think of a way to explain without sounding pathetic. “Well, it’s my first time away from home and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to celebrate with anyone other than my family.” She looked down into her lap, the happy fuzzy feeling from her buzz turning into a sad, numbing feeling.  
Noodle frowned at her. “But we are your family now, right?”  
Sam perked up a bit from Noodle’s words. She looked at the people in front of her, all of them looking back at her with encouragement. The corner’s of her mouth tugged up, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess you guys are.”  
2D, sitting next to Sam, wrapped his arm around her shoulders affectionately, pulling her closer to him for a hug. Sam melted into his side, accepting the friendly gesture. Looking around at everyone, Sam would have never guessed this is where her path would lead her. With losing her parents, then leaving her friends behind, she thought she had to lose her family to move forward. But she didn’t lose anything, she only gained more.  
Sam was suddenly jerked away from 2D and landed halfway into Murdoc’s lap, her arm gripped possessively in his grip. “Alright,” he muttered, staring daggers into 2D’s black hole eyes. “It’s back ta’ work now. Get this rubbish cleaned up.”  
Shaken by Murdoc’s glare, 2D sprang out of his seat and started pulling streamers off of the wall. Sam tried pulling herself off of Murdoc to help, but he held steadfastly onto her. His mouth was hot on her ear suddenly, whispering, “Be ready tonight by ten o’clock. We’re goin’ out.” After that he released her, a smirk playing on his lips when she looked back at him.  
Sam stood and gave Murdoc a wink in agreement. Once the room was cleaned of party remnants, they all went to work. 

 

Sam stood there, staring into her mirror. She was wearing a silky black slip dress, her mother’s diamond necklace, and shiny patent leather pumps. As she looked at herself, she furrowed her brow, staring straight at the line between her eyebrows. Ugh, she thought, poking the worry line and trying to smooth it out. Another year older, another wrinkle settling in. She sighed and turned away from her reflection, opting for the powder compact on her nightstand. She opened it and pressed the powder puff over her nose, diluting the shine.  
Without knocking, Murdoc barged into the room, making Sam gasp and snap the compact shut. “Mierda, Murdoc! Can you knock once in awhile?” She tossed the compact onto her bed and turned back to the full length mirror.  
“If I did that, then where would the spontaneity go?” said Murdoc, stepping towards Sam as she fluffed out her hair in the mirror. He stood behind her and wound up his arm. “I need to keep you on your toes.” He sent his hand colliding into her buttocks, creating a loud smack.  
As soon as his hand collided into her cheek, Sam hitched forward onto the balls of her feet, flinching away from the impact. She squealed, and immediately twirled around to face Murdoc, a scowl written all over her face. “That fucking hurt, you piece of shit!” She smacked him with her palm on his chest, but it didn’t do him any damage. All he did was burst into a fit of laughter.  
“Ya’ didn’t mind it when I had you bent ova’ last night!” Murdoc retorted between his laughter.  
Sam ignored his comment, finding it easier to just move on. “Where are you taking me this fine evening?” She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
“One of the best bars in Essex. Your gonna love it. The swankiest place you’ve ever been.” He sauntered over to the bed, plopping down and making himself comfortable.  
Sam cocked an eyebrow at him in the mirror’s reflection. “What did I do to deserve this kind of five-star Murdoc Niccals treatment?”  
“I’m a bloody gentleman, baby. Nothin’ but the best for my girl.”  
Sam’s heart lurched. She whirled around to face him, a sparkle in her eye. “So, I’m your girl now?” she asked dubiously yet hopefully.  
He pushed himself up to stand and placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Yeah, one a’ them. But if you’re good tonight, I’ll bump you up ta top three.” He snorted with laughter, but Sam jerked her face away from him, sneering at his arrogance.  
“Whatever. Let’s just go before I change my mind.” Sam snatched her clutch from atop the dresser and made her way out, Murdoc following suit. As they made their way down the hallway, Sam crossed her arms in front of her with a scowl on her face, walking a little faster than Murdoc. Trying to step faster to keep up, Murdoc placed a hand on her lower back to keep her closer to him. She quickly stepped away from him, giving him a nasty look in the process.  
“Aw, c’mon, Sammy, don’t be like this on your birthday,” said Murdoc, speeding up his pace to catch up with her.  
Sam rolled her eyes. “Exactly, it’s my birthday. You should be treating me special.”  
“What the hell do you think I’m doin’, ya loony broad! I had ta book our reservations for this place a month in advance!”  
“That’s not what I’m—!” Sam started to protest, but she didn’t have the strength to explain any kind of feelings she had to him. To her, it was like talking to a brick wall. So she took a deep breath in and calmed her nerves, slowing her pace to walk beside him. “You know what, just forget it. It’s my day, and I’m going to have a fucking good time.”  
Murdoc felt like he was getting whiplash from Sam’s emotional rollercoaster. He knew there wasn’t anything he could say that would make the situation any better or any worse, so he just threw his arm around her shoulders and said, “Now that was the reaction I was hoping for.”

Once they arrived at the bar, Sam had to check her reflection in her compact mirror. She tried to smooth down her wind blown hair from riding in the Geep, and it didn’t help that Murdoc had sped the entire way there. With a scowl, she let herself out of the passenger side. “I look like a victim of a hurricane.”  
Murdoc met her on the other side of the car, pulling her close to him as they walked towards the entrance. “A sexy hurricane victim, I might add.”  
Sam couldn’t help but smile at his remark, despite her irritation.  
The two made it past the bouncer and walked up the stairs that led to the rooftop bar. Murdoc was right, it was the swankiest bar Sam has ever been to. She looked around in awe, and the view from the edge was amazing. She leaned closer to Murdoc as they made their way to the bar, showing her appreciation.  
“A whiskey neat for me and a dirty martini for the lady,” said Murdoc to the bartender.  
Sam took a seat at the bar next to Murdoc as he stood. She looked up at him as he ordered for her. There was something about the way he took charge really excited her and made her wish they could be alone in that moment. She hooked her arms around his, needing physical contact with him.  
Murdoc looked down at her, noticing the way she looked up at him with a felinesque look on her face. He’d know that look anywhere. Those were sex eyes. He knew he would be getting laid that night, but he might have to take her to the restroom if she kept up that look.  
The bartender handed them their drinks, but before anything else could be said or done, a woman walked up to Murdoc. She was petite with an icy blonde pixie cut, blue eyes and an upturned nose. She was older than Sam, maybe in her thirties like Murdoc. Sam watched her cautiously as she looked Murdoc up and down.  
“Murdoc, sweetie, I didn’t know you came here,” said the woman in a Swedish accent.  
“Kristina, love, didn’t know you were back in town. How are ya?” Murdoc’s attention peaked at the woman. He took a step closer to her, leaving Sam behind at the bar as an onlooker.  
As the two caught up, Sam watched them. They were familiar with each other, like they went way back. She noticed the way Kristina leaned forward a bit, the plunging neckline of her blouse loosening a bit. The way Murdoc looked intently at her, like he was engulfed in every word she said. He never listens to me like that, she thought bitterly, taking a large swig of her martini. She watched Kristina reach out and caress his inverted cross necklace, lingering on it and looking up at him with big doe eyes. An excuse for her to get closer.  
Sam, fed up with her voyeur role, downed the rest of her drink and slipped away. How dare he stand there and flirt with some bimbo and leave me behind to drink alone on my birthday! Well, if he can flirt and be with other people, I can certainly do the same! It’s my birthday, dammit! She crossed over the dance floor and to the other side of the rooftop, trying to create as much space between herself and Murdoc as possible.  
Eying a solitary man, she makes her way over to him. He’s handsome enough, a bearded face with dark hair and muscles. He spots her almost as soon as she does him, his eyes follow her as she made her way to him.  
“Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” the man says to her. His voice is deep with a Spanish accent.  
“Apparently not hard enough. Do I know you?” Sam leaned against the railing next to him, twirling a lock of hair with her finger.  
“No, but you sure do look like my next dance partner.” He held out his hand and waited for her approval.  
Sam looked out at the sea of people. Murdoc was nowhere in sight. Probably taking that bitch to the bathroom for a screw right now, she thought, grinding her teeth at the image. She took his hand in hers and pulled him behind her, making a beeline to the dance floor.  
“Easy now, senorita, you don’t want to pull my arm out of the socket. Then how will we dance the night away?”  
Sam let up her grip and stopped in the middle of the crowd. “We’ll be doing more than dancing as the night goes on, I’m sure,” she said with a wink, turning her back to him and grinding her backside into his hips.  
As the two danced, Murdoc was wrapping up his conversation with Kristina. He watched her walk away, his eyes wandering to her shapely buttocks wrapped in a tight white skirt, but he quickly averted his eyes, not wanting Sam to follow his line of vision and cause a fight. He turned towards her, her name on his lips to ask if she would like to sit in the VIP section, but the words dissipated as soon as his eyes met the empty chair. His brows furrowed in confusion. The bloody hell did she go? He thought.  
He turned to the bartender and asked, “Hey, where’d that bird sittin’ there wander off to?”  
The bartender jerked his chin in the direction Sam had stalked off. “She went over there. She looked kinda pissed though.”  
While Murdoc went in search of Sam, Sam found more dance partners and received free shots due to her exclamations of, “It’s my birthday!” On her fifth shot, Sam felt like she was the queen of this club. More and more guys came up to her to buy her a drink or a shot, but she figured she’d take it a little easy since she was already swimming in alcohol.  
For the most part, she had forgotten about Murdoc. It felt like a normal Friday night at the club, flirting with guys and getting free drinks. All she needed was Laura and it would be like she was back at home. She needed her partner in crime.  
Wandering to the back of the rooftop to get away from everyone and to get a breath of fresh air, Sam sat on one of the patent leather sofas. Sitting now and able to think a bit more clearly, she could feel her feet throbbing in her heels. Ugh, maybe I shouldn’t have sat down, she thought, wanting desperately to take her shoes off and rub her feet.  
As she sat there, the same Spanish man as before took a seat next to her. “Ah, there you are. I was afraid I had lost you for good.”  
“You gotta keep up with me,” Sam said, giving him a teasing smirk and a wink. “Or else you’ll lose me.” She noticed how close he sat next to her. Her leg was pressed up against his and she could smell the strong cologne wafting off of him. She could see how nicely plump his lips were, and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. It would be a nice change from Murdoc’s chicken lips… she thought spitefully. “Did I tell you that it’s my birthday?” She asked, leaning closer to him and exposing more of her cleavage.  
“Is it? Well then, I should give you a birthday present.”  
“We should make out,” Sam said brusquely. “Like, right now.” She grabbed his silky shirt in her fist and brought him even closer to her.  
The man was a little taken aback, but gladly took up her offer. “A gift I don’t need to go to the store for! Perfect!” He took her face in his hands and their lips crashed into each other.  
Murdoc looked everywhere for Sam. He was growing more and more agitated, especially by all the people drunkenly bumping into him and spilling their drinks. He started to wonder why he was going out of his way to look for her if she was the one that left him, but something inside him kept guilting him when he felt like giving up. C’mon, just leave her and go hunting for a new broad to shag. Who cares if it’s her birthday? If she’s ungrateful enough to leave ya’ in the first place, she doesn’t deserve to be found! But then a niggling little voice of guilt would squash those thoughts. What if she was taken? What if she just went to the bathroom and got lost? And those thoughts are what motivated him enough to keep looking for her.  
He got to the perimeter of the back of the club and looked around. There was a section of white sofas where people could sit and relax and not worry about the crowd of people bumping into each other and dancing. There weren’t many people back there, but he did notice a couple making out on one of the sofas. In fact, the closer he got, the more he realized the woman looked an awful lot like Sam.  
Sam, her thoughts all fuzzy and fueled by alcohol, drunkenly kissed the strange man. To her dismay, he was all tongue, but her drunkenness let it slide. While her lips were fast at work, she felt a hand on her arm. She was then quickly torn from his mouth and on her feet. When she looked up, all she could see was Murdoc’s seething face. The Spanish guy stood, clearly very confused, and asked what his problem was. Maintaining a tight grip on Sam’s arm, Murdoc threw a punch at the guy’s face, easily knocking him out because of how drunk he was.  
Sam’s eyes widened in shock. She knew if he caught her he would be angry, but she didn’t think he would punch the guy. “Murdoc!” She exclaimed, eyes darting from him to the unconscious man sprawled on the couch. “What the fuck!”  
Murdoc then whirled around to face her, anger radiating off of him. “’What the fuck’ me?! ‘What the fuck’ you! Who do you think you bloody are to leave me?!”  
Sam, now enraged by his words, jerked away from his grip. “Why the fuck do you care? You were clearly so enthralled with that blonde bimbo earlier, why do you even need me? In fact, why do you need me at all? Since you have hundreds of other girls to choose from, why don’t you just go have fun with them?” She reached behind her, snatched a drink from an unsuspecting girl, and tossed the martini at Murdoc. Stomping away, she tossed the empty glass onto one of the sofas.  
Murdoc ground his teeth together and shook his now wet hair out. Boiling with anger, he followed after her. For a short woman in very tall heels, she sure could walk fast, and he didn’t catch up to her until they made it to the stairs to exit the club. The stairwell was empty except for them, but it was narrow and quiet except for the muffled sound of the pumping bass of the music. Murdoc reached out and grabbed Sam by her shoulder, forcing her to turn towards him. “Get back here, you daft slag—!” He quickly shut up as soon as she faced him and he saw the glistening streaks of black mascara tears running down her cheeks.  
Sam tried wiping the tears from her face but it only smeared the black around. “So, you’re the only one who can sleep with other people? How is that at all fair for me? Nights when you don’t come home, when I lay awake in bed wondering if she’s prettier or skinnier or more interesting than me. Then I think, ‘well, if he can do it, I’ll just go out and sleep with someone else too!’” She pauses, hearing people coming down the stairs. The two made their way down, leaving the club and walking to the car. They were silent other than Sam’s sniffling.  
Once they were in the car, Sam remained silent. As Murdoc drove, a silent intensity filled the car and surrounded them. Neither of them wanted to talk to the other, Sam trying to swallow her tears and Murdoc trying his best not to lose his cool. But as they sat there, Sam’s sadness stewed within her and turned into anger soon enough, and by the time they made it back to Kong she was seething.  
As soon as Murdoc turned off the Geep inside the parking garage, Sam spoke up, needing to get the words out that had been swirling around in her thoughts the entire car ride. “How is it fair that you have all of these many lovers, and I can’t even make out with some guy at a club?” She said, the tears on her cheeks now fully dry and irritation flowing through her. “I’m not your pet that you can just tie up to go play with some other bitch!” She swung her door open and quickly got out, slamming it back in place.  
Murdoc just sat there, watching her leave and listening to the quick clicking of her heels on the cement floor. She was soon out of his sight. 

When Sam woke up the next morning she realized she was not alone. To her surprise, Murdoc lay asleep next to her. She didn’t expect to see him so soon after their fight. And despite all of her instincts telling her she did nothing wrong, she still felt guilty for ruining the night. Before slipping out of bed, she placed a kiss on his cheek.  
As soon as Murdoc felt movement next to him he woke up. Still very groggy from the night before, he mumbled a faint “good morning”.  
Still feeling a bit awkward, Sam managed to utter a slightly more chipper “good morning”. As she began getting dressed for the day, she tried to find the words to express how she felt. She couldn’t leave things the way they were. She just couldn’t live that way. The way Murdoc wanted them to be. So, she slipped on a shirt and walked out of her closet to face him.  
She cleared her throat, grabbing his attention from his phone. “I just want to kind of…explain myself, I guess.” She walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the frayed hole in the knee of her jeans to avoid eye contact. “I know we aren’t exclusive or anything. I know that pretty well, actually. But I think last night was proof that I need more from you—that is, in this weird kind of relationship that we’re in now. I mean, remember how you were so jealous last night of me just kissing another guy that you knocked him unconscious? Imagine multiplying that feeling by all the girls you’ve slept with since New Year’s. That’s how I feel almost every day when I can’t help but think about it.”  
She paused, maybe hoping that Murdoc would chime in with an apology or some sort of sympathetic gesture. But when nothing else was said or done, she continued. “Do you know what I wished for for my birthday? That I alone could be enough for you. I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do or try to label us as anything, but this thing we have going on isn’t fair. We don’t have to be in a serious relationship, but I just can’t stand knowing anymore that you’re seeing other women. And until you can promise me that you’ll stop sleeping around, I can’t even bring myself to sleep in the same bed as you.”  
With that, Sam stood and walked out of her room, not giving Murdoc any time to say anything. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say, because she knew it wouldn’t be anything of substance. No, he needed to mull her words over. He needed to see what it was like to have her and then not. He needed to see that sleeping around with other women was nothing compared to being with Sam. But the thing was, Sam wasn’t sure Murdoc would ever come to that realization. And that’s what made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach.


End file.
